Musharraf urges mass to combat extremism

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf here Saturday reiterated the country's firm resolve to fight out terrorism through force, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan.

"Terrorism is to be combated ruthlessly through force. Religious and sectarian extremism is to be met with a truly prudent approach," Musharraf said while addressing a convocation in Islamabad.

"We have to replace the instigation of hate, anger and militancy in madrassas (religious schools) and print material with propagation of peace, tolerance and understanding," he emphasized.

He pointed out that Pakistan simultaneously faces the menaces of terrorism, religious extremism and sectarian extremism and the country has to strategize separately to combat each one of these.

"We must understand that this strategy can only be achieved through a momentum, through a wave, which has to be initiated. It can not be (achieved) by one individual, it can not be (achieved) by a government, it has to be (achieved) through a wave of masses,through all of us, who believe in moderation," he underlined.

Recounting the challenges confronting the Muslim world, he stressed that the countries of the Organization of Islamic Conference, an international group of Islamic countries, should follow a reconciliatory and reformatory approach instead of entering into confrontation in a world, where there are hostile perceptions about the religion of Islam due to actions of a minority of obscurantist forces.

"The fact is that religious intolerance and militancy of the extremist fringe among the Muslims and the unabated maligning of Islam in a part of the Western media is giving rise to growing misperceptions about Islam," Musharraf regretted.

He urged the Western media to understand the real causes of political unrest and said it is a travesty of facts to equate Islam with intolerance.

Xinhua