KARACHI, July 4: Participants at a seminar were of the view that there was no difference between the ruling clique in the US and socalled Islamic fundamentalists.

This was the dominant view expressed from the platform of the Citizen Committee Against War, which focused on “confronting empire— challenge and response.”

Chaired by its convener, Mr Hasan Abidi, the committee deplored American unilateralism and hegemonic drive, particularly since 9/11.

It was feared that after the Middle East, the South Asia would be the next target of the “Empire”. American policies in Iraq and other regions and its support for dictators and unrepresentative governments also came under scrutiny.

Dr Jafer Ahmad was of the view that there was no difference between the Texan group now at the helm of affairs in the US and the socalled fundamentalists found in the Muslim world.

He accused President Bush of spearheading the fundamentalists and claimed that the phrase “axis of evil” was borrowed by him from the Bible.

Mr Jaffer spoke of spiritual bridge between the ruling clique in the US and Islamic fundamentalists.

Asad Saeed traced the American expansionism since 1890 and said oil was not the only reason for invading Iraq. His contention was that the fear of Euro challenging the dollar and Europe becoming a potential economic power vis-a-vis the US, could also be one of the reasons, besides the US desire to achieve absolute military power.

Dilating on the lack of an anchoring ideology, he said the biggest challenge in Pakistan was the civil-military collaboration. He called for opposing arbitrary moves.

Highlighting the social contradictions of American society, he claimed that a sizable number of people, especially blacks, had ended up in prisons.

Dr Tahira Khan, tracing the evolution of the term Islamic Ummah and its role in the contemporary world, raised the question that whether religion was a binding force or not.

Prof SM Naseer said the US had spent $19 trillion on building its defence so far and it ruled through its military industrial complex and multinational companies. He said that Karl Marx had become more relevant today.

M B Naqvi said that countervailing forces had emerged against the American “Empire” although people had become weak in a unipolar world.

On the day of American independence, speakers were very critical of American expansionism, especially against the smaller countries.