KARACHI, Jan 30: The acting chief of the Jamaat-i-Islami, on Wednesday stated that the planned elections would polarise the nation between supporters and opponents of the American agenda in the region

He urged the people to rise against Washington’s moves which, he said, were detrimental to the interest of the Muslims.

Speaking at the Karachi Press Club’s Meet the Press programme, Syed Munawar Hassan said that in view of the evolving situation in and around the region it was imperative for the people to understand the American objectives and agenda.

He said it was a mater of concern that wherever Muslims are being targeted the USA is siding with the oppressive force. That is why there was growing anti-Americanism, he said. He was critical of the American policies of standing alongside the Israeli who were killing unarmed Palestinians and bombardment of Afghanistan where innocent civilians were being killed.

He expressed the belief that one of the objective of the US administration was to creat another Israel in this region. “First it was planned to be created in Kashmir, but now the developments in Afghanistan have changed the options. Now after the fall of the Soviet Union there is nobody to question the USA,” he said.

He said that campaign against international terrorism was a farce because only the Muslims were being targeted and branded as terrorists. He said that IRA received funding from the USA but it was not classified as terrorist.

“If you are Irish Catholic there is no problem, but if you are a Muslim you are a terrorist”, he said adding that the Tamils too were not branded terrorists. No one said Timothy was a terrorist.

“When Israelis kill unarmed Palestinians, they are not called terrorist. Those who are killing Kashmiris fighting for freedom are not called terrorists,” he added.

He said that all the Jihadi outfits named by the USA as terrorists had been involved in resisting state terrorism.

“Now that General Pervez Musharraf has become the darling of the West after Sept 11 incident, there is nobody to ask why the Americans need to retain the Jacobabad airport, what they are doing in Karachi, Pasni, Gwader and Dalbandeen”, he said.

Syed Munawar Hassan said that despite all these factors his party was in favour of contesting the planned national and provincial elections because they would usher in a new democratic culture.

He accused the government of indulging in pre-elections rigging allocating seats for technocrats and women.

In his view the declaration by Gen Pervez Musharraf to remain president for five years was also part of that pre-election rigging.

He expressed the hope that in the given situation his party would emerge as a big mobilising force for the people 6who were opposed to the American agenda in the region.