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Pakistani Muslim students chant anti-U.S. slogans at a protest in Karachi
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By
Asif Farooqi, IOL
Pakistan
Correspondent
ISLAMABAD
, September 17 (IslamOnline) - Pakistanis are opposed to any U.S.-led
military campaign against
Iraq
, though many of them argue that
Iraq
should do more to address the apprehensions of the world community
with regards to its alleged involvement in bio or chemical weapons.
Opposition
to the
U.S.
policy towards
Iraq
is more heated this time. Pakistanis took to the streets protesting
U.S.
war on
Iraq
ten years ago, and they are ready to do the same again. But, this time
it is going to be more violent.
With
Afghanistan
“conquered” at the hands of
U.S.
forces, Pakistanis feel it is the urge of conquering the Muslim world
than anything else that U.S. President George W. Bush is bent on
attacking
Iraq
.
“We
opposed and protested the
U.S.
invasion in the past and we will do it again,” said a 42-year-old
street vendor. He was referring to the 1991 Gulf War when thousands of
Pakistanis took to the streets, not only to protest the
U.S.
military campaign against
Iraq
, but also to condemn the Pakistani government for its support to the
allied forces in this venture. Nawaz Sharif, then Prime Minister, was
heavily criticized for his support to the
U.S.
at the time.
“But
this time it is going to be different in terms of force. Pakistanis
have not been able to digest
Pakistan
’s role in
Afghanistan
and if [Pakistani President] General [Pervez] Musharraf chooses to
support the
U.S.
again, commoners would become revengeful,” Farooq Adil, a political
analyst and a mass communication teacher at the
University
of
Karachi
said.
“Saddam
Hussein should also try to come to terms with the international
community. It is in his own interest and in the interest of the Muslim
world,” 28-year-old office worker Saeed Ahmad said. “No, no that
does not mean that I would support the attack on
Iraq
,” he added hastily when asked whether he supported a military
campaign by the
U.S.
A
32-year-old female secretary in a multinational firm said she believed
that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was an American agent and was
helping the
U.S.
to firm its grip on the
Middle East
. “He has not helped the Muslim nation; whatever he does, it helps
the
U.S.
” Samina Hussein said.
Ali
Imran, a university student, thinks that attacking
Afghanistan
was part of the
U.S.
New World Order which the
U.S.
would achieve at any cost.
“The
international community is behind the American president overtly or
discreetly. So there is no point in my opposing or supporting it,”
he argues without saying yes or no to the question whether he supports
or opposes the
U.S.
in its
Iraq
policy.
Shahrukh
Khan, a young bank executive was of the opinion that the
U.S.
government will create an international coalition, not in its favor
this time but an anti-U.S. international coalition. “
Europe
and other nations would join hands with Muslims to fight the
[unilateral] ambitions of the
U.S.
leadership. I will support this coalition by donating money because I
can not fight myself,” he said.
Hamid,
a taxi driver said he liked Saddam Hussein and would protest if the
Pakistan
government tried to support the
U.S.
action against
Iraq
.
Ali
Nawaz Khan, a farmer said he would like the
U.S.
government to consider the latest offer by the Iraqi president of
allowing the U.N. inspectors to return to his country. “If the
American government rejects this latest offer, it would simply mean
there was an ulterior motive behind its policy on
Iraq
and this was not based on principles”.
“The
U.S.
is bullying the Muslim world and it is our responsibility to stop
Americans from doing so,” Akhtar Subhan, a departmental storeowner,
said.
