EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer
AP Worldstream
08-23-2005
Dateline: UNITED NATIONS
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has accepted an invitation from a leading Jewish organization to speak about his campaign to promote moderate Islam among Muslims around
the world,
the Council for World Jewry said.
Musharraf urged Muslims in a June 2003 speech to move forward in politically trying times with a strategy of "enlightened moderation" and has been advocating
the policy ever since as
the best way for Muslims and non-Muslims to counter extremism and terrorism.
Council chairman Jack Rosen said Musharraf's speech next month would be unique because it would mark
the first time a Muslim leader with international stature stands up and publicly calls for moderation in
the Muslim world not only at an event for Americans but at an event sponsored by
the Jewish community.
"He's going to be speaking to a constituency that's been demonized by many extremists in
the Muslim world," Rosen said in an interview Monday.
Rosen said he and two colleagues from
the council, which is part of
the American Jewish Congress, were invited to meet Musharraf in Islamabad in May. During their talk, they discussed Muslim extremism, terrorism and
the need for reconciliation.
Out of that meeting came an invitation for Musharraf to speak to
the American and Jewish communities on his call for "enlightened moderation" and
the changes needed in
the Muslim world and
the West to achieve it, Rosen said.
Musharraf recently accepted and
the Council for World Jewry is organizing an event which will take place in New York soon after a U.N. summit in New York that Secretary-General Kofi Annan has invited world leaders to attend from Sept. 14-16, he said.
In a 2004 speech to
the Organization of
the Islamic Conference, which represents 57 predominantly Muslim countries, Musharraf said his strategy of "enlightened moderation" had two prongs.
One requires
the Muslim world to shun militancy and extremism and promote socio-economic progress to achieve its "emancipation" and
the other requires
the West, especially
the United States, to resolve all political disputes in which Muslims are engaged "with justice" and to assist in economic and social improvements in deprived Muslim countries, Musharraf said.
"This doctrine is a refreshing doctrine compared to what we've been hearing for
the last 10 years from
the Islamic world," said David Twersky, who accompanied Rosen to Islamabad.
"He doesn't blame everything on
the West. He takes a lot of responsibility," Twersky said. "For example, he says most Muslims being killed in
the world today are being killed by other Muslims."
Phil Baum,
the third council member on
the trip, said it has been very difficult to find moderate Muslim leaders to speak out publicly. He noted that U.S. President George W. Bush had recently assigned one of his closest colleagues, Karen Hughes, to work on this issue in her new job at
the State Department.
"What we would hope to do is spark other moderate community leaders in joining him (Musharraf) in speaking out against extremism and terrorism, something that's been very difficult to find in
the last few years," Baum said in an interview.
Twersky said what Musharraf is trying to do "is more than pushing
the envelope."
"He is really trying to change
the rules of
the game," Twersky said. "Right now, those rules keep various parts of
the world population from communicating with each other. He is trying to change those rules, and he is doing it in a very dramatic fashion by accepting
the invitation to
the September event."
Copyright 2005, AP News All Rights Reserved
Pakistani leader accepts Jewish invitation to speak about moderate IslamEDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer
AP Worldstream
08-23-2005
Dateline: UNITED NATIONS
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has accepted an invitation from a leading Jewish organization to speak about his campaign to promote moderate Islam among Muslims around
the world,
the Council for World Jewry said.
Musharraf urged Muslims in a June 2003 speech to move forward in politically trying times with a strategy of "enlightened moderation" and has been advocating
the policy ever since as
the best way for Muslims and non-Muslims to counter extremism and terrorism.
Council chairman Jack Rosen said Musharraf's speech next month would be unique because it would mark
the first time a Muslim leader with international stature stands up and publicly calls for moderation in
the Muslim world not only at an event for Americans but at an event sponsored by
the Jewish community.
"He's going to be speaking to a constituency that's been demonized by many extremists in
the Muslim world," Rosen said in an interview Monday.
Rosen said he and two colleagues from
the council, which is part of
the American Jewish Congress, were invited to meet Musharraf in Islamabad in May. During their talk, they discussed Muslim extremism, terrorism and
the need for reconciliation.
Out of that meeting came an invitation for Musharraf to speak to
the American and Jewish communities on his call for "enlightened moderation" and
the changes needed in
the Muslim world and
the West to achieve it, Rosen said.
Musharraf recently accepted and
the Council for World Jewry is organizing an event which will take place in New York soon after a U.N. summit in New York that Secretary-General Kofi Annan has invited world leaders to attend from Sept. 14-16, he said.
In a 2004 speech to
the Organization of
the Islamic Conference, which represents 57 predominantly Muslim countries, Musharraf said his strategy of "enlightened moderation" had two prongs.
One requires
the Muslim world to shun militancy and extremism and promote socio-economic progress to achieve its "emancipation" and
the other requires
the West, especially
the United States, to resolve all political disputes in which Muslims are engaged "with justice" and to assist in economic and social improvements in deprived Muslim countries, Musharraf said.
"This doctrine is a refreshing doctrine compared to what we've been hearing for
the last 10 years from
the Islamic world," said David Twersky, who accompanied Rosen to Islamabad.
"He doesn't blame everything on
the West. He takes a lot of responsibility," Twersky said. "For example, he says most Muslims being killed in
the world today are being killed by other Muslims."
Phil Baum,
the third council member on
the trip, said it has been very difficult to find moderate Muslim leaders to speak out publicly. He noted that U.S. President George W. Bush had recently assigned one of his closest colleagues, Karen Hughes, to work on this issue in her new job at
the State Department.
"What we would hope to do is spark other moderate community leaders in joining him (Musharraf) in speaking out against extremism and terrorism, something that's been very difficult to find in
the last few years," Baum said in an interview.
Twersky said what Musharraf is trying to do "is more than pushing
the envelope."
"He is really trying to change
the rules of
the game," Twersky said. "Right now, those rules keep various parts of
the world population from communicating with each other. He is trying to change those rules, and he is doing it in a very dramatic fashion by accepting
the invitation to
the September event."
Copyright 2005, AP News All Rights Reserved
