http://www.dawn.com/2001/12/06/op.htm#3
Not a war
against Muslims
By Khalid
Mahmood
President Musharraf's recent visit to Britain underlined the close
links between our two countries and our shared determination to
tackle the menace of international terrorism. There is a
tremendous admiration in our country for Pakistan's courageous
stance, in difficult circumstances, to the challenge we face to
peace and security.
The president's in Britain and the United States gave him a chance
to express Pakistan's views and concerns on the military campaign,
on the diplomatic efforts to bring Afghanistan back into the
family of nations and the vital humanitarian operations under way.
As a British Muslim MP with many Muslim constituents, I understand
fully the concerns about civilian casualties, and about the
mounting humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. I regret deeply the
loss of lives of civilians in Afghanistan. But while al-Qaeda has
shown it deliberately kills as many civilians as possible, I know
the international coalition is making every effort humanly
possible to avoid civilian casualties in the campaign against al-Qaeda
and the Taliban regime which has supported them and given them
shelter.
Of course there was a grave humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan
before September 11. Six million Afghans are dependent on
international relief and only 13 per cent have access to clean
water. Two decades of war have done enormous damage to the
country. That is why the Coalition fighting the war has placed as
much emphasis on securing a stable government for the future of
Afghanistan, as well as essential aid and reconstruction as they
have on removing the Taliban and destroying the Al Qaeda network.
No one in Britain or in the British government wants to see the
military action to continue a day longer than necessary. But there
is a determination not to allow Afghanistan to be used as a base
for launching terror around the world. This is the objective of
the military campaign now taking place. It's a campaign that must
be continued until those responsible for the September 11
atrocities are brought to justice and al-Qaeda's machinery of
terrorism in Afghanistan is completely destroyed.
It is hard to believe that anyone could have planned and ordered
the appalling attacks we saw on September 11. Thousands of
innocent men, women and children, with no links to the military or
foreign policy of the United States were murdered. They included
hundreds of Muslims and many of them citizens of Pakistan and
Britain.
There can surely be no doubt now that Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda
are responsible for these attacks. A body of evidence linking them
to the atrocities has now been published in Britain. Every threat
from Osama bin Laden and his associates in their videos and
statements since September 11, confirm their guilt. Look, for
instance, at the warning to Muslims from Abu Gaith, Osama's
deputy, to stay away from aircraft or tall buildings.
Deeply insulting is Osama's attempt to use Islam to justify mass
murder - something which King Abdullah of Jordan condemned as an
attempt to hijack Islam - and his suggestion that the military
action to bring him to justice is a war against Islam or ordinary
Muslims.
How can Britain wage a war against Muslims when there are over a
million Muslims living and worshipping freely within its borders,
where one can see Muslims running British towns and cities, where
we are elected to parliament and rise through every profession?
If Britain and the United States were waging a war against Islam
then why did they risk the lives of their armed forces to defend
the Muslims in Kosovo in an air campaign against the evil of the
Christian Serbian state just two years ago?
No, this is not a war against Islam but a war against the
terrorists who have killed thousands of innocent civilians,
including many from Muslim states in the past, and who have
threatened to kill thousands more from their bases in Afghanistan.
This is not a war against the Afghan people. If it were so, why
would Britain, the United States and the countries in the
international coalition be making such massive efforts to get
humanitarian aid to the Afghan people? Britain has stepped up
massive relief operations since September 11. We have also
increased our support to Pakistan which shoulders such a burden.
The best hope for the Afghan people is to see, as quickly as
possible, the removal of the al-Qaeda cancer from their country
and the final end of the Taliban regime from the areas they still
control - one of the reasons four and a half million people fled
to Pakistan and other neighbouring countries before September 11.
Only then can the refugees return and the reconstruction of their
country begin with international support under a broad-based
government.
The writer is a Labour MP for
Birmingham Perry Barr.
