LAHORE, Dec 13: Pakistanis settled in America except illegal immigrants have no problems from official and unofficial circles after the tragic incidents of Sept 11, 2001.
This was stated by North American Pakistan Muslim League president Agha Muhammad Afzal Khan while speaking to a meeting held by the Nazaria-i-Pakistan Foundation and th Pakistan Movement Workers Trust at their auditorium here on Friday.
He said that most of the Pakistanis were perturbed soon after the 9/11 incident as the US government started taking strict security measures against all the Muslims belonging to different parts of the world as a general policy. But as the things moved, they heaved a sigh of relief that the action was mainly designed against illegal immigrants belonging to various Islamic countries, particularly Arab countries. He said that a number of illegal immigrants from Pakistan were also held up in this connection. “Law-abiding Pakistanis who respect the US laws and do not indulge in anti-social activities are welcome all over the country,” he remarked.
Agha Afzal Khan, who lives in America for the past 26 years and is a leading real estate investor and developer and the president of New Jersey branch of the American Muslims Alliance, said that Americans greatly appreciated the role of Pakistan and its President Musharraf in their war against terrorism in Afghanistan. He said that President Musharraf had taken a right decision at a right time to join the international coalition against terrorism.
He said that Pakistanis had been impressing upon the people of America right from top congressmen, senators down to ordinary citizens that Islam had nothing to do with terrorism as it was a religion of peace. He discounted baseless and false reports reaching Pakistan from America against Islam. These were all rumours, unfounded far from truth,” he emphasized.
He said that the US State Department had last year extended all cooperation to a delegation of American Pakistanis led by him which had visited Pakistan last year to dispel the wrong impression of the Americans’ attitude towards the Muslims, particularly Pakistanis settled in that country.
Agha Afzal complained that the Pakistani community was itself to be blamed for the difficulties it was facing in America. He said they were not united and did not care for the sentiments of their hosts. Ulema and prayer leaders in their sermons in mosques would not hesitate from openly criticizing the Jews and the Christians while their remarks were recorded by the agencies which were transcribed later to government officials.
“Some restraint and expediency under the changed circumstances is needed which our people least understand. It is diplomacy and not hypocrisy and Islam permits it,” he believes.
He said that the reason why a large number of Pakistanis who had gone to America for better prospects could not succeed was the fact that the well-to-do and influential Pakistanis had not been coming forward the help them unlike members of other communities. As a result, most of educated Pakistanis who could be helped to improve their qualifications by putting in a little effort were forced to accept jobs not commensurate with their qualifications, status and earning potential. He said that the young Pakistanis had tendency of joining the medical profession. Instead they should also try their luck in other fields like law, engineering, media. In media they could counter the anti-Muslim propaganda, he added.
He said that the 9/11 incident had also a blessing in disguise for Islam as a large number of Americans had started studying the Islamic literature, particularly the Holy Quran, to learn what it stood for or if there was any link between Islam and terrorism. He said that many American women, particularly those of Spanish origin, had embraced Islam and others expressed their inclination to embrace Islam for the honour and dignity it bestows upon women in contrast to other religions and western society. He said that Islam had the potential of spreading itself provided there was proper method of doing so.
Earlier, former senator Dr.Javid Iqbal in his brief remarks said that Pakistanis were not extremists as they follow the teachings of the Quaid-i-Azam, the teachings of tolerance, peaceful co-existence, love and affection. Yet they had their sentiments when America attacked Afghanistan. Though it was a war against terrorism, a large number of innocent Afghan men, women and children were killed in indiscriminate bombing of their areas. He said that the result of the recent general election was the outcome of the anti-American sentiments of the people in the NWFP and Balochistan which were the border provinces of Afghanistan. He said that the new government had announced that it would not allow the land of Pakistan to be used for any terrorist activity. He said that after the 9/11 incident many Pakistanis working in America had faced numerous problems.