Musharraf's Hannukah | despardes.com


AUG 25, 2005
Musharraf's Hannukah AUG 25: Ever since Dawn's New York correspondent Masood Haider broke the news of General Musharraf's planned address to the American Jewry during his September visit to USA, there seems to be a "why not" reaction among US-based Pakistanis and Pakistani-Americans. There are reports that senior US officials including Condolezza Rice may also attend the meeting. Its another thing that the meltdown of Bush policies across the globe indicate that his cheeky and disingenuous trust in Condolezza Rice is an unmitigated disaster. But if senior US officials do attend the meeting, Musharraf's address to the Jewry will not only be seen as a serious diplomatic overture, but will also be considered a historical breakthrough in world Muslim-Jewish relationship since at least a century. Says one Pakistani-American.."after all we are cousins..." Another Pakistani-American Khurram Habib thinks "it is an unusual move". Tariq Khan, Director of Washington based Pak-American Liaison Committee and Editor/Publisher Houston based newspaper Pakistan Chronicle says.." Musharraf's approach is right. We should come to the table and get involved with world community, address issues which are causing uncertainties in the global village..." Last time such an event took place was when Egypt's Anwar Sadat shook hands with Israel's Menachem Begin during Camp David peace treaty. Several years later, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat shook hands with Israel's Yitzhak Rabin at the Whitehouse, with US president Bill Clinton brokering a peace between "cousins". But in spite of these peace overtures, Palestinian Intifada continued and Israel's responses undermined the Middle East peace process until Arafat left the scene for good. The rest is history..... Convinced that peace with Israel would reap an enormous "peace dividend," Sadat had initiated his most important diplomatic ploy. The Israeli's responded with inviting him to speak to the Knesset. That eventually culminated in the 1978 Camp David Accords and a final peace treaty with Israel in 1979. For his efforts, Sadat won the Nobel Prize for Peace. But at home, Sadat's new relationship with the west and his peace treaty generated considerable domestic opposition, especially among fundamentalist Muslim groups. On October 6, 1981, Sadat died at the hands of fundamentalists assassins during a military review celebrating the 1973 Suez crossing. The rest is again history..... Coming back to Musharraf's potential diplomatic coup, Dawn's New York correspondent Masood Haider reports that President Pervez Musharraf has accepted an invitation from the American Jewish Congress to speak about his campaign of �enlightened moderation� in Islam, chairman of the organization Jack Rosen said to him in an interview on Tuesday. Mr Rosen, who also heads the Council of World Jewry, said that Gen Musharraf�s speech in New York next month would be the first time a Muslim leader of international stature who publicly called for moderation in the Muslim world would address an event sponsored by the Jewish community. Mr Rosen said he and two colleagues from the American Jewish Congress were invited to meet President Musharraf in Islamabad in May after he had accepted the invitation from the leaders of the Jewish community in New York. The meeting with the American Jewish community will take place soon after a United Nations summit in New York from Sept 14-16. He said: �It�s a bold move, it�s refreshing for us in here in America to hear a moderate voice of a very important international leader.� Mr Rosen said he hoped that �President Musharraf can set a trend so that Muslims and the people living in Western society � people of all faiths � start having a positive dialogue with each other instead of this endless confrontation.� �President Musharraf�s presentation to the audience will resonate far beyond our community and beyond the New York audience,� Mr Rosen stressed. Noting that �President Bush has the same objective to find moderate voices in the Muslim world�, Mr Rosen said �it�s a unique opportunity to begin to alleviate tensions between Muslims, the West and much of the world�. Mr Rosen said that in an effort to reach out to other communities, the AJC had held meetings with Pakistani community leaders two years ago. In a speech to the Organization of Islamic Conference last year President Musharraf unveiled his doctrine of enlightened moderation.� �This doctrine is a refreshing doctrine compared to what we�ve been hearing for the last 10 years from the Islamic world,� David Twersky, who accompanied Mr Rosen to Islamabad, told a news agency in an interview. �He doesn�t blame everything on the West. He takes a lot of responsibility,� Mr Twersky said. �For example, he says most Muslims being killed in the world today are being killed by other Muslims.� Mr Twersky said what Musharraf is trying to do �is more than pushing the envelope.� �He is really trying to change the rules of the game,� Mr Twersky was quoted as saying. �Right now, those rules keep various parts of the world population from communicating with each other. He is trying to change those rules, and he is doing it in a very dramatic fashion by accepting the invitation to the September event.� How dramatic Musharraf's 'Hannukah initiative' turns out to be will much depend on the subsequent outcome and each party's seriousness towards burying the hatchet, and re-accepting each other as "cousins". Blood is thicker than water they say....history has no relatives though...

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*Shaan Johri, California, USA* In Islam, Jews are our brothers as well as Christians. It is idiotic for a nation to separate themselves into categories. We have seen this in history with the downfall of the Taliban. We are all made from the same creator. If no interaction was made between nations, then there would be no Dawah or tolerance. Muslims must work towards peace and tolerance at all costs. After the bloodless conquest of Makkah, the Holy Prophet even forgave the residents who cast him out! Now, that is true peace, true Islam. The Muslim world lost Palestine because it allowed itself to go corrupt. Muslims cannot blame the Jews, Christians or any powers but themselves. Remember, Khadijah (ra) was a Jew herself, and SHE was the first to embrace the prophethood as well.
*Syed Faiz Ahmed, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia* I am glad some leader from the Muslim World had the courage to take this initiative. This is a welcome omen as there was no point in staying away from Israel which is now a reality and a strong, influential member of the World community. A direct relation was imminent and the sooner the better. Having said that, I also would like here to express my strong admonition for Musharraf, who on one hand has demonstrated exceptional courage for the "International audience" by taking this decision while in contrast to the same he has demonstrated equal cowardice at "home front" by not taking the issue to the parliament. In my opinion, he should have allowed a debate at least in the Parliament and then should have gone ahead with the same, irrespective of how the Parliament would have reacted. I am sure the Mullah's would have found themselves in the crunchy corner and more and more support would have been forthcoming; like we have already seen in the shape of supports from MQM, ANP, PPP and the "Sarkari Muslim League". Due to this folly from Musharraf, deliberate or inadvertent, the Mullah's now have found great opportunity to make noise and capitalize on the same. Musharraf has provided them a welcome chance to become HERO on his mistake instead of being one on their OWN achievements.
*Syed Nayyer, So Dakota, USA* Musharraf should have taken it to the NA for the Nation to debate and discuss the geopolitical and religious aspects of it. However, I do think it's time to engage Israel rather than keep demonizing it.
*Aziz Narejo, USA* On the face of it the man in charge, the dictator - gives the impression to toe the US line to establish relations with Israel and become a 'Sadat' of the post-9/11 world but deep down he intends to get the support of the Jewish lobby in US that he knows has a great say in the decision making in this country and believes that it would help him become a Hosni Mubarak of Pakistan. Long live duplicity! It will flourish as long as there are takers. So what's new?
Akbar Ansari, Maryland, USA It is better to have a dialogue than to avoid the subject.
*Ghazanfar Hussain, Florida, USA* Pakistan has nothing to lose but everything to gain by having one less enemy and one more friend, or at the very least a nation neutralized. It's businesslike....why not....after all this is what "enlightened moderation" is according to President Musharraf. Keep it up sir.
*Ismat Kamal, UK* On one phone call, General Pervez Musharraf took the famous U-turn. Later, a trip to USA made him accept Henry Kissinger's "enlightened moderation", I am told. Two years back he was almost ready to recognize Israel if the public opinion was in favor. Now he wants to shake hands with anybody, everybody who can help him keep glued to his chair, popular everywhere. We can expect anything from this gentleman. Meanwhile, another General Mr Karamat asks his fellow countryman not to visit USA unless it is absolutely important. Whither Pakistan, its people, its image?
Kimat G Khatak MD, Massachusetts, USA I have no objection against Pakistani Israeli dialogue and exchange of ambassadors. We should have done that when other Arab countries were doing it or before that. After all Pakistan has been a surrogate country of USA since 1948 and could never honestly claim to be independent. The Shah of Iran did it when we were the Chamchas of the Shah. The Turks have done it when they are the ones who claimed Khilafat (in Muslim era in Turkey) at some time. I am opposed to Musharraf doing it because he does not represent Pakistan or Muslims. He is not a legitimate ruler of our people and is the moral equivalent of Mir Jaffer and Mir Sadiq, carrying their legacy of treason against our people. His "licking" will not stick because it is phony. I wish we were not so unfortunate that garbage is representing our people.
Narku, NJ, USA Interesting overture..
Dr Mubashir Hasan, Lahore, Pakistan Very few in Pakistan are aware of the role of American Jewish Congress in creating and consolidating the state of Israel. Accordingly, the impact of the President's address will be minimal in Pakistan. It cannot be lasting. His support, already high enough in the West, especially in the Western media, will certainly receive a boost, but he is in need of more at home than abroad.
K,N. Pandita, NY, USA With 75,000 religious seminaries in Pakistan churning out millions of Pakistani Muslim youth indoctrinated in extremist Islamic ideology that will not compromise with moderation, with nearly a hundred para- military camps in the country training thousands of these seminary products for unleashing Theo-fascist terror in Kashmir, with committed sectarian murderers seeking the blood of Shia minority community in Pakistan, with clandestine proliferation of nuclear know-how to other countries and with Pakistan's popular leaders all banished from the country, does General Musharraf's proposals for a moderate Islam have any real substance?
Iqbal, Chicago, Illinois, USA Nothing wrong in having a dialogue. Let's see what Musharraf says and what the other side says. Dialogue is always good if it can lead to a better understanding and a better future and if it is just for the sake of dialogue then it's futile.
Dr Minhaj Qidwai, Toronto, Canada This will have a long lasting impact. President Musharraf is putting himself at stake.