ISLAMABAD, Oct 1: Former Prime Minister and Chairperson of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Benazir Bhutto has said the world is unfortunately moving close to the clash of civilizations predicted a generation ago.

According to a press release issued here by PPP media cell, she was speaking at a forum called 'World View and Wisdom' organized by the Sierra Nevada College in the US on Thursday.

Ms Bhutto was concerned to see the name of Islam 'misused as a political pawn by Machiavellian' who believed "that things must get worse for their goals to succeed". She noted that the world was in an uncertain political situation with ongoing violence in Afghanistan and Iraq and the horrific attacks in Beslan that made children and teachers hostages of terror.

She said like the people of the US and Europe, people of Pakistan were also victims of terrorism where terrorists had hit many targets including mosques and churches and people were being murdered in Baghdad, Beslan, Balochistan and other parts of Pakistan.

The PPP chairperson said Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi rightly pointed out in his address before the United Nations in September that the choice before the people should not be one of religious and non-religious dictatorship and that people must have the third choice of democracy.

She said this was an age traumatized by terror. This is exactly the message which she and the PPP had been preaching. She said terrorists were opposed to freedom of choice and equality before the law irrespective of ones race, religion or gender.

She said stability flowed when people of all races, religions and ethnic background could work together equally and without prejudice within nations and in the larger world. She said the United States was a democratic symbol at a time when many parts of the world lived in darkness without human rights and the rule of law.

Defending the message of Islam, she said there was no justification in Islam for barbaric conduct. "Islam is committed to tolerance and equality which are the values of democracy."

She said she was uncomfortable at seeing that despite the strong commitment to democracy most Muslims were living in dictatorships. She said it was time for the Muslims to appreciate the Islamic message to seek knowledge as the very first word of the Holy Quran was "read".

The former prime minister said Islam promoted gender equality. That is why it is disturbing to see that still women are denied their due place in society in many countries, she added.

Ms Bhutto said while fighting terrorism, "we must side by side also fight religious intolerance, which fans regressive forces of totalitarianism". She said the danger of a clash of civilizations had become a real one triggered by a "confederation of international terrorists who are trying to provoke chaos".