Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said today that the U.S.-led war against terrorism, including the occupation of Iraq, have helped fuel the perception of Muslims that “Islam, as a religion, is being targeted and pilloried.” The remarks by Musharraf, one of the Bush administration’s closest Muslim allies in the war on terrorism, come as Pakistan is resisting U.S. appeals to send troops to Iraq to help U.S. forces stabilize the country. Musharraf’s government has cited the need for greater political support in the Muslim world for the U.S.-led occupation. Musharraf told more than 20 world leaders and foreign ministers attending a counterterrorism conference that the Islamic world has an obligation to reform the religious schools, or madrassahs, that “preach hatred” and to “shun militancy and extremism.” But he said this would only “be feasible if the West joins us by helping to resolve all political disputes involving Muslims with justice.” Full Story
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