SPEECH
ON WAR ON TERROR
Global
Institute for Leadership
Palm
Desert, California
October
19, 2004
Throughout
the world, these are the times of uncertainty, tension, conflict and great
danger. The era of peace for which we prayed, and which after the collapse of
communism was within our grasp, has no tragically become a time of war.
Stability
has been replaced by chaos. The world has changed dramatically since the attack
on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. America is the oldest and greatest
democracy of the world. As a teenager, I learnt about modernity, diversity, and
democracy here in your country.
I
returned to Pakistan with the dream to help my country prosper on these
democratic principles, and on empowering and revolutionary concept of equal
rights for women in society. BUT tragically, I found that the fanatics and the
dictators dread modernity, diversity and democracy. They fear the empowerment
of People of Pakistan, They fear literacy, equality and above all they desperately
fear the spread of information in society. They use religion to justify their
politics, to justify dictatorship and to manipulate a clash of civilization
under which they thrive.
I
do not believe that such a clash of civilization is inevitable. Contrary to
what some people believe, Islam is a monotheistic religion very much part of
the Judeo Christian heritage. Abraham, Moses, and Jesus are the prophets of
Islam as much as they are reversed in Judaism and Christianity.
It
is ignorance and fanaticism that seek to create a clash of civilization amongst
East and West, amongst Islam and the rest of the world. Terrorist aims to
provoke a global, deadly confrontation between continents, nations, and religions.
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