PESHAWAR, Sept 24: Senator Maulana Sami has said Islam is a religion of peace, but the United States has double standards in the case of Muslims. He was talking to visiting American General Clay Buckingham who called on him at his residence in Akora Khattak.

They discussed the problems between the West and Islam in detail and overall political situation of the region.

Later, Gen Buckingham visited Darul Alloom Haqqania and Haqqania High School and examined the syllabus being taught there.

He also questioned a few students about the religious and formal subjects they are being taught in the madressah and expressed surprise about the atmosphere in the institution.

Gen Buckingham said the US had attacked Iraq on the basis of incomplete information, but the US administration was unhappy over the dictatorial policies of Saddam Hussein and it was Saddam not Iraq which led to the invasion

He agreed with Maulana Sami’s remarks that the Western media did not give complete details and hid actual facts most of the time and that Islam, Zionism and Christianity were religions of peace and tranquillity.

Mr Sami said the US administration had supported cruel elements and oppressors in Chechnya, Kashmir and Palestine and now it should be the firm resolve of religious scholars and leaders of Muslim, Christian and Jewish nations that they would only support the oppressed nations.

He also made it clear that the elements fighting for freedom throughout the world did not hail from madressahs. Most of them had been brought up by several Western institutions, he added.—Online