Musharraf breaks new ground, meets Jewish leaders in NY

Hindustan Times ^ | September 18, 2005

[nickcarraway]

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf held an unprecedented meeting with leaders of the American Jewish Congress as part of his campaign to press for moderation in the Muslim world.

Musharraf is the first leader of a Muslim nation which has no diplomatic relations with Israel to hold a public dialogue with Jewish leaders, officials of the Council for World Jewry said.

The Pakistan military general was given a standing ovation and big round of applause as he stepped into the conference room for the meeting-cum-dinner at a leading hotel in New York.

"I cannot imagine that a Muslim and that too a Pakistani and more than that a man in uniform would ever get such a warm reception and such an applause from the Jewish community," Musharraf said as he gave a military salute to the audience, which included Pakistani Americans.

Jack Rosen, the chairman of the American Jewish Congress, described the function as "an unprecedented evening."

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke before the Congress in January last year but his nation has diplomatic relations with Israel.

"President Musharraf's decision to be with us tonight is an act of individual courage, leadership and vision," said Rohen, who is also chairman of the Council for World Jewry, which includes the American, French and Russian chapters of the Jewish community.

Musharraf, who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999, is a key US ally on its "war on terror" and has repeatedly spoken out against extremism in the Muslim world.

He unveiled his so-called "enlightened moderation" doctrine encouraging Muslims to embrace pluralism, openness and tolerance at the Organization of Islamic Conference last year.

Musharraf had once said that his destiny was to save Pakistan, set up as a moderate Islamic state for the subcontinent's Muslims in 1947, from the grip of violent extremists.

There had been several Al-Qaeda-linked attempts to kill Musharraf, who won Bush's firm alliance when he sided with Washington to oust Afghanistan's Taliban rulers after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States.

[swarthyguy]

One thing you can be certain about, there was no ham served at this gathering.

[montag813]

Oh gee, he met a few gullible left-wing "Jews". So what. He still won't let U.S. forces go in and kill Bin Laden, who is living safely in his country. Musharraf is an enemy of the U.S., according to the Bush Doctrine. Why does he get a pass?

[Edit35]

Bravo to Musharif.

Just hope he can avoid the assassins bullets or bombs, which are sure to come his way in the face of his attempt to make nice with Israel and other western nations.