A Pakistani native living in Bryson City told a group of Rotarians last week that Islam is a religion of peace and submission.

“Islam does not accept in any way, shape or form the killing of innocent civilians,” said Saeed Khan, the president of the Bryson City Rotary Club. Khan gave a special program last week on the Middle East and the current crisis involving Afghanistan and the Taliban.

Khan said that from his perspective President George Bush is doing a good job, particularly by assembling a coalition of Islamic countries and by getting the word out to the U.S. public that Muslims are peaceful people. Since Sept. 11, the Justice Department says there has been 170 investigations into crimes against Arabs, Muslims and Sikhs.

“To counter the extreme, militant views of a small minority of Muslims, we should fight a war against terrorism,” said Khan. “But not only on the military front, but also a diplomatic front.”

Khan said Bush should continue — even increase — the visits to Muslim countries by high-ranking administration officials and even well-regarded civilians.

“He should send more officials, even non-political. They will talk to others and spread the word about American intentions,” Khan said.

The Rotarian also encouraged Bush to release to the public some of the information related to the charges against Osama Bin Laden. Doing so might change some of the attitudes of the general citizenry in the Mideast.

In the long-term, Khan thinks U.S. policy in the Mideast is destined for failure unless some fundamental changes occur. He said there are four issues that are troubling to many Arabs.

° First and foremost is the U.S. support of Israel in regard to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Until the creation of Israel after World War II, there was very little anti-Semitism in the region, according to Khan. Especially since the 1967 war — during which Israel seized the West Bank, the Golan Heights and the Gaza Strip — support for Israel has led to strong anti-U.S. sentiment.

° The continued sanctions against Iraq as a result of the Gulf War have led to widespread starvation and even the deaths of infants. That, Khan said, upsets many in the Mideast.

° The presence of U.S. troops on the Saudi Arabian peninsula — and near Muslim holy sites — has given Bin Laden a way to fuel the anti-American anger of radical young Arabs.

° The continued support of Middle Eastern monarchies — like that in Saudi Arabia — despite their disregard for human rights and their political abuses.

According to Khan, Bin Laden’s rise to power was aided by two events. One was his offer to Saudi Arabia before the Gulf War to use his militia to push Iraq out of Kuwait. The move was rebuffed by the Saudis, who opted to let the U.S.-led coalition stage the war from Saudi soil.

The other event that helped the Taliban and Bin Laden, according to Khan, occurred during the Afghanistan war with Russia in the 1980s. While the U.S. aided the Afghans who were fighting the Russians, tens of thousands of Afghans fled to refugee camps in Pakistan. Poverty and hunger were widespread in those camps, and a general mistrust of U.S. motives was imbedded in those who were living there, Khan said. If the U.S. had sent humanitarian aid and set up schools, the youngsters living in those camps who grew up to be Taliban leaders might have developed a different view.

“Poverty and illiteracy give Osama Bin Laden a pool of young Arabs willing to go to his camps in order to get food for their families,” he said.

 

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