Pakistani intelligentsia condemn US, West for being "unfair" to Muslim world

Karachi, Apr 16 : Pakistani intelligentsia has condemned the US and its allied western governments, saying that they were exercising an "unjust policy" towards the Muslim world.

They were speaking at a seminar "The Pakistani Diaspora in the West: Part of Solution or Part of the Problem?", here last evening.

On the occasion, the Pakistanis living in the West and in Pakistan urged upon western governments and societies to exercise softer skills to strengthen relations with the Muslim world. "The western media should also portray a true Islamic image," said Dr Meraj-ul-Huda Siddiqui, a leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, a political Islamic party.

Many of the panelists raised objections to western government policies towards the Muslim world. Substantial objections forced panelists to admit that the policies of the United States-led West were no more defensible. "The hardened policies have made it impossible for moderates and liberals in the Muslim world to defend the West. Now they seem to be defensive and people call them apologetic," the Daily Times quoted Dr Huma Baqai as saying.

She advised that intellectuals among the Pakistani diaspora must be given prominence by the media and that this face be brought forward.

Sindh Information Minister Dr Shazia Atta Marri admitted that the West had "double standards" toward Muslim countries, in the policies adopted towards them. The West needs to stop supporting dictatorial regimes if it wants to rid itself of this charge, she added.

Norwegian Parliamentarian Dr Khalid Mehmood Chaudhry said that the US and its allies propagated a global war-like Islamic identity across the world in their war against USSR-led Communism. He urged that they need to change their attitudes and accept the blame in this context.

House of Lords' Baroness Kishwer Faulkner criticised Muslim terrorists, saying that the term 'Islamic terrorism' was used because some Muslims used Islam as justification for their terrorist activities. She said the ETA, Basque or IRA are based on separatist political ideologies, so their agenda is different from that of the Muslims.

The participants also condemned terrorism but made it clear that the West had paved the way for the Taliban in Afghanistan. They also urged that the Hamas and Hezbollah should be identified as a legitimate resistance against the occupation and other trans-national outfits should not be equated with them.

ANI