09 February 2004	Monday	17 Zilhaj 1424

KARACHI, Feb 8: The post-9/11 incidents were a bitter experience for the Muslims living in America, which heightened patriotic feelings in them, a teacher from a New York university said while speaking at a seminar on Sunday.

The seminar on "Problems of the Muslims living in North America and their future," was organized by the Sociology department of the Karachi University, and was presided over by Art Faculty Dean Prof Abuzar Wajidi.

Dr Pirzada Qasim, Vice-Chancellor, KU, in his massage said that the importance of social sciences could not be denied, and research, education and syllabi be designed according to national aspirations.

Prof Ilyas Bayounis from States University, New York, said at the seminar that the Western media had misled the people about the teachings of Islam. He said the laws formulated by the US government and measures taken by it after the tragic incidents had made the lives of the Muslims extremely miserable in the US.

Mr Bayounis claimed that the image of Pakistan was now improving due to the 'realistic' policies adopted by President Gen Pervez Musharraf and it was expected the situation for the Muslims in North America would improve further.

Prof Wajidi said that after the incident of 9/11, the Muslim students in the US had to face many hardships, but now some organizations and some individuals were working for the welfare of the Muslims there. -PPI