Articles of the year 2005

The trip to New York to address The World Jewish Congress, must now be looked at in greater detail,for as pointed out in my earlier piece –August 25th, the stakes are very high indeed for all three religions. The Jews are under attack in Israel. The Christians from the US to Madrid and now in the UK. The Muslims in Iraq, in Palestine, and now worldwide feeling the repercussions of 9/11 and of 7/7.

The Aviation Industry has suffered more than any other, and all airline passengers when strip searched at the boarding gate must curse the Twin Tower bombers. For Aviation will never be the same again. The financial cost added to the fear factor which all passengers must endure will affect the business of the airlines.--- some may even go under. Aviation is a highly competitive business, and does not absorb shocks easily, and the long term effects of 9/11 are still being felt throughout the Industry.

Nevertheless, the world is now fed up of the heightened risks and threats, real or imagined, they certainly have to be taken very seriously. Everyone would dearly love to return to the pre-9/11 days, when catching a flight was something one looked forward to. The JWC is not stupid, and has guessed that the Non-Jewish world is slowly bringing the blame round to the problem in Palestine. The Media hype--- constant coverage by CNN,BBC, and Fox news surrounding the withdrawal from Gaza is an indicator of the Israeli attempt to portray the Settler as a victim. This does not wash with the world audience, and the reaction is mostly that of disbelief, notwithstanding the Media barrage played to the old dictum of 'repeat a lie often enough…' It does however indicate that the Israeli planners are awake to the perception shift, and the Blame Game is now moving towards the root causes of the hatred that the is felt throughout the world for the Americans. The American Public is perplexed at being the focus of this hatred, but gradually the realization is dawning upon the Intelligent few, that for there to be Peace in the World, the Palestinian issue must be resolved—equitably. The fallout is far reaching, and we in Pakistan also have to live under the reflected hatred for having sided with America. The two Suicide attacks on President Musharraf are testimony to the level of commitment that has been fuelled by the Anti-US forces in Pakistan. The WJC understands this, and is now moving along the right lines, to bring the problem into an open discussion, with the players that are frontline, and are desperately needed to bring about a meaningful de-escalation in the hate process, so that a new era of Peace can begin.

The Hatred for the US, and its supporters must be defused at the earliest, as the think tanks in the West are already calculating when--- not if, the next attack will take place. Of course the planned attacks are being portrayed as any size and scope, from biotech to nuclear tech, to dirty bomb. We do not have the luxury of sitting back and waiting, we should be talking about a long term solution, and the meeting in New York is the correct beginning but only if the message of Peace is conveyed to the Israeli leadership, of, the Cost to the World of their present course. The Opportunity for the WJC at the present moment is that having understood the basis of the root cause, it must be addressed, and a realistic Peace initiative be put into motion. With due respect to our Egyptian friends, the Camp David accords did nothing for Peace in the region, or for that matter in Palestine itself. Now with the Taliban influence the net has been cast much wider and the Muslim youth worldwide is the breeding ground. Being fed on a daily dose of the bombings in Palestine of CNN /BBC and FOX news. As they say one picture is worth a thousand words. With these horrific and graphic details of the plight of the Palestinians, no amount of corrective commentary can fool the viewer as to who is the victim, and who is the perpetrator.( In other words 'who is doing what, and to whom'!) The World Jewish Congress alone has now the opportunity to bring about a lasting peace and to stop the persecution of the Arabs at the hands of the Jews so that the terrors of 9/11 are buried forever. Surely after suffering thousands of years of persecution it does not suit the Psyche of the Jewish people to over-retaliate. They would do well to practice some Christian forgiveness.

The three faiths are intertwined, and have a commonality that cannot be denied. Yet over the centuries we have been driven apart, by interests that would seek to benefit from our estrangement. It is deplorable that all three very beautiful religions are being vilified and twisted out of context and beyond recognition so that hatred has become the order of the day. In this new millennium I propose and hope we can move closer and together attack the common enemy of our peoples---- illiteracy, bigotry and poverty…………"I am sure the Presidential address will be on somewhat similar lines, for the bringing together of these two religions is a dream that not even the Gandhis or Mandelas could envisage or have the chance to address. The very fact that the Jewish Congress has afforded President Musharraf this singular honor is significant. It means that he will take on the role of leadership of the Muslim peoples, who at this point in time are in hopeless disarray from Indonesia to Morrocco. The Beard and Hijab are now labels of terrorism. Islam itself is under attack from Jews and Christians alike. To rescue Islam from this unfortunate position will take a lot of hard work from all three religions together. The Bigots in all three must be silenced. This must be the millennium of enlightenment, and can only be brought about by such interaction, as offered by the Jewish Congress.

These bigots must not be allowed to detract from this Peace process. For that is the ultimate goal. This Peace can only brought about by developing an understanding of each others position, and stopping the spread of hatred. Surely hatred is the antithesis of all major religious beliefs?

President Musharraf has a difficult task ahead, but the invitation itself is an indication that the Jews and Christians alike would like to move towards a more Peaceful World. They are honoring us with handing us the leadership of the troubled Muslim world. It is for President Musharraf to move Pakistan--- and the rest of the Muslims. forward into an era of Peaceful coexistence with the West. It will also give him the chance to outline the major obstacles that stand in the way of a lasting Peace. The Palestinian problem and the Iraqi issue can now be addressed at a meaningful forum in front of The World Jewish Congress--- where both are of directly related importance.