WITH its customary mindset—India has put out a report claiming that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked President Musharraf to act against terrorism directed vis-à-vis India during their telephonic conversation on Monday. The report quoted the Indian Prime Minister as saying that he was ‘disturbed’ at the indications of ‘external linkages’ of terrorist groups—with Saturday’s serial bomb blasts in New Delhi’. Pakistan has, however, rejected the claim and called for display of sense of maturity by New Delhi—on such occasions. Amid such a situation, it’s proven—once again—that India never misses any opportunity to target Pakistan even on false notions.
New Delhi’s lust for blaming Pakistan is—so intense that it doesn’t wait for any probe—into incidents and resorts to blame game instantly without any evidence whatsoever. Whether it’s attack on Indian Parliament or Chattisinghpura massacre of Sikhs in occupied Kashmir—India has the tendency of dishing out charges against Islamabad without any substance. And interestingly, India’s allegations of Pakistan’s involvement in acts of terrorism in India have always proven false during investigations.
Understandably the latest Indian allegation doesn’t have traditional venom—yet its tone and tenor has a lot to incriminate Pakistan though indirectly. It’s unfortunate that sombre humanitarian gesture of expression of condolence—by President Musharraf on the loss of life in the bomb blasts in New Delhi last Saturday has been exploited to vitiate the positive environment in Pakistan-India relations. The fact is that such tendencies—on the part of the Indian functionaries substantiates—the perception in Pakistan that there is no change of heart in India and that New Delhi is neither serious nor sincere in the ongoing dialogue process—or to resolve the Kashmir issue.
It’s really unfortunate that Pakistan—is being kept on the hook by India—with ulterior motives despite the fact that President Musharraf has—gone out of the way to promote goodwill with New Delhi—even at his personal risk. The Indian Government needs to display sense of maturity and prudence and—should not allow the vested elements in India—to impede the ongoing dialogue process for the sake of their agenda of hatred, prejudice and confrontation with Pakistan. President Musharraf has offered to help in a joint investigation—in any way possible—to reach the truth and fix responsibility for the bomb blasts. We feel optimistic—that the Indian Government will respond positively to the offer—so as to identify the elements—that are out to throttle the normalization process between the nuke neighbours—India and Pakistan. Isn’t it an apt, apposite and appropriate suggestion—in the best interest of the peoples of the two countries—for their eventual affluence, backed by environs of lifelong safety and security—Manmohan Jee??

Vienna conference

Intolerance breeds violence and ignorance breeds suspicion. For these reasons, the three-day conference that began yesterday in Vienna on relations between the Muslim and non-Muslim worlds could not be more necessary. In Europe, Muslim minorities feel themselves under increasing threat from prejudice and distrust. In the Middle East, there is a strong sense that the interests of the Muslim world have been discounted. Something needs to be done quickly to cut the growing knot of misunderstanding. Anti-Muslim feeling has been focused by the depravities of Al-Qaeda. Since 9/11, the bland Western assumption has often been that all Muslims are terrorists. The Madrid bombings and the London suicide attacks only added to this misapprehension. Meanwhile Washington’s ill-judged Iraqi intervention, its uncompromising stance toward Iran over nuclear power and its unremittingly slavish support for Israeli suppression of Palestinian aspirations, continue to engender deep suspicion of the West and its policies toward — and in — the Muslim world.
Vienna this week offers a chance for everyone to stand back and re-examine their positions. Muslims need to redouble their efforts to make clear that terrorism is no part of their religion or their lives. It needs to be spelled out that those who use the name of Islam to justify murderous crimes abuse religion and are beneath contempt. However non-Muslims also have to work harder to understand the sense of injustice and despair that is a fact of life among so many Muslims. The riots in France, unjustifiable though they are, manifest the alienation that many young people feel in a society which seems to offer them neither equal opportunities nor respect for their religious and cultural background. The West also has to understand that however worthy it believes the aims behind its Middle East policies, Muslims in the region judge by deeds not words. The destruction of Saddam’s Iraq may in itself have been welcome but the subsequent chaos into which the country has been plunged is injuring not only Iraqis but the entire region. Could this perhaps have been what Washington really wanted?
Decent Muslims have made clear their revulsion at crimes perpetrated falsely in the name of Islam. It is important that such declarations are accepted. Muslims will reinforce this acceptance by themselves pinpointing the extremists in their community who are seducing young people with the pernicious doctrines of terror. Important steps have been taken in this regard but much more needs to be done. Meanwhile, for the non-Muslim world, a dose of humility would not be amiss. The seeds of bigotry have been watered by ignorance and blindness in the West which chose for too long to ignore or take lightly Muslim feelings. The Vienna conference offers the chance to undo past mistakes and re-establish a dialogue based on genuine attempts to understand what has gone wrong in the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims. And dialogue means listening to everybody, not simply your own argument.

—Arab News