 President Pervez Musharraf vowed on Saturday to "fight terrorism ruthlessly" and asked moderate Pakistanis to help him tackle extremism and sectarianism because "this task cannot be achieved by an individual or the government alone". Addressing the third convocation of the International Islamic University, the president said a successful fight against terrorism and extremism was only possible with the help of moderate forces in the country. "There is a tendency to equate Islam with religious extremism and terrorism. Misperceptions about Islam need to be removed through the strategy of enlightened moderation for durable and lasting peace in the world," he said.
The president said the Muslim world should reject extremism and move towards socio-economic development while the West should resolve lingering political disputes, the root cause of extremism and terrorism. "Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance and tells women and men to live in harmony by promoting justice, equality and fraternity," he said.
| Yeah, yeah. Yadda yadda. Blah blah. It was a lot more believable the first time we heard it. |
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