RAWALPINDI, Feb 3: There is no conflict between Islam and modernization as the religion has an inherent mechanism to adapt to the changing times, says President Pervez Musharraf.

He was talking to representatives of electronic media at his camp office here on Friday.

“However, there is a clash between Westernisation and Islamic traditions, that move in opposite directions and there is a need to differentiate between the two (concepts),” he said.

The president said modernisation and westernisation were two different concepts altogether, but the two were being confused. He said the West believed that an enlightened society was Westernised, while some obscurantists in the country equated modernisation with westernisation. Both were wrong, he said.

Referring to the concepts of Ijtima and Ijtihad, the president said these concepts kept the religion in step with the changing times. “The dynamics of Islam are not static,” he said.

He said gaining knowledge, learning skills, good governance and seeking modern technology was not akin to being Westernised.

He said majority of Pakistanis were religious-minded people but many were swayed by preachings of obscurantists because of low literacy rate.

The president said some Muslim countries followed the wrong practice of sidelining religion. Leaders should give the people the real essence of Islam. He said the Western perception that Islam had anything to do with militancy needed to be corrected.

The president clarified that his concept of enlightened moderation was not an interpretation of Islam. “It is only a strategic concept and should not be confused...it has nothing to do with marathons and fashion shows.”

He said the concept was meant to end the suffering of the Ummah, which yearned for peace.

However, the president said, to achieve all these objectives “confrontation must end”.

“Terrorism and extremism are hurting us and also bringing a bad name to Islam,” he said.

He called for rectifying the situation to ensure an end to backwardness of Muslims and said the OIC was working on a plan.— APP