As the Middle East struggles with its roadmap to peace, Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf on Sunday urged his countrymen to consider recognizing Israel, a position strongly opposed by religious hard-liners.
| "Strongly opposed" is putting it mildly, to say the least... |
"This is the responsibility of the nation to decide. This should be seriously thought over. The media should have an open debate on this," Musharraf said in an interview aired Sunday by the private Geo Television channel. "The debate should be serious. There should be no emotionalism of the extremists," he said.
| I thought their stock in trade was rolling their eyes and jumping up and down? |
"What is our dispute (with Israel)? We should think," he said.
| That's right. Loosen your turban and think... |
"I have been saying. 'Should we be more Catholic than the pope or more pious than the pope or more Palestinian than the Palestinians themselves?'" Musharraf said. "Is this the right attitude or should there be some change in it? There should be national consensus on it."
| "But... Qatar talks to them..." |
Pakistan has no ties with Israel and its citizens are not allowed to travel to Israel.
| Which is kind of a blessing for Israel, come to think of it... |
In Pakistan, where Musharraf is under attack by religious hard-liners, the issue of recognizing Israel has been an emotional one. "Musharraf is paving the way for recognizing Israel," Maulana Fazlur Rahman told reporters Sunday in Multan, south of Islamabad. He threatened nationwide protests if Musharraf pressed for Israel's recognition.
| Just determined to roll his eyes and jump up and down, isn't he? |
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