Munir Akram, Pakistanâs permanent representative to the United Nations, told the OIC Foreign Ministerâs Annual Coordination Meeting on Tuesday that the gulf between Islam and the West was widening and some states had exploited the orchestrated campaign against Islam to justify the suppression of their Muslim minorities.
| "Yeah! Just look at... ummm..." |
Speaking on behalf of Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri who has to travel to Washington with the prime minister of Pakistan, Mr Akram said, âLegitimate struggles for the right to self-determination, as in Palestine and Kashmir, are being projected as extremist or even terrorist movements. The need for revival and resurgence of Islam which was never greater can be achieved only through social development, political reforms and economic advancement of the Islamic world.â
| Paleostine and Kashmir. Yup. That's the ticket â perfect examples of legitimate struggles, carried out through legitimate means. |
Mr Akram said President Pervez Musharraf had proposed the strategy of âenlightened moderationâ, involving socio-economic and human development in the Islamic world and simultaneous action by the international community, including the UN, to promote solutions to conflicts and disputes afflicting the Islamic world on the basis of justice and international legality, to prevent discrimination against Muslims and against their religion, Islam, and to support the development efforts of the Islamic countries. He said, âWe must remain firm in defending just Islamic causes. There should be no compromise on our solidarity and support for the right of self-determination of the people of Palestine and Kashmir. We should forcefully resist efforts to de-legitimise the struggle for self-determination by depicting it as terrorism.â
| "... no matter how many people are blown up or have their heads cut off!" |
Pakistan, he stressed, remains deeply concerned at the precarious security situation in Iraq. The Iraqi people, through an inclusive political process, must be enabled to determine their own future, structure of governance, and to assume the responsibilities for the administration and disposal of its own resources. He called for a central role for the UN in Iraq.
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