PTI
Times of India
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TitlIndia says Pakistan misusing Islam Author: PTI Publication: Times of India DatSeptember 3, 2001 URBAIndia on Monday rejected Pakistan's stand that New Delhi was "denigrating the struggle for self-determination as terrorism" in Jammu and Kashmir and charged Islamabad with misusing Islam by equating militancy with holy war. "Pakistan is blatantly disguising cross-border terrorism as jehad (holy war) and is misusing and spoiling a tolerant religion like Islam," minister of state for external affairs Omar Abdullah said. He was responding to the statement made by Pakistan foreign minister Abdul Sattar at a plenary session of the World Conference Against Racism (WCAR). Accusing Pakistan of trying to carry out ethnic cleansing by targeting Sikhs and other minorities in Kashmir, Abdullah said by making such statements Islamabad was only attempting to vitiate efforts aimed at creating a conducive atmosphere for a dialogue. "We are acting in a much more mature manner. We will deal with the issue at the appropriate place and talk to Pakistan directly. Kashmir is a bilateral issue," the minister, who is leading an eight-member Indian delegation to the conference, said. Asked as to what would be India's position on paragraph 73 of the WCAR draft declaration, which refers to discrimination based on work and descent, he said it was a new concept as no UN document had, in the past, bracketed the two issues. Many NGOs have demanded retention of the paragraph maintaining that it in effect focused on casteist discrimination. Abdullah said, "India is willing to discuss the paragraph as its implications have to be understood". While Guatemala has sought incorporation of the paragraph in the final declaration, Switzerland, which had raised the issue during the WCAR preparatory meetings at Geneva, had withdrawn its demand. On the demand of the Africans for compensation from the western world for having colonised the continent, Adbullah said India would support the position taken by it. "We have to find a language in the declaration acceptable to all". "However, our national stand is that despite being colonised by the British, the Portuguese and even the Japanese, we have never asked for any compensation," he said. Abdullah also rejected the plea of certain Arab countries that Zionism be equated with racism. Meanwhile, foreign secretary Chokila Iyer arrived here on Monday to join the Indian team. She would lead the delegation after Abdullah leaves for a two-day visit of Cape Town on Tuesday. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ofbjp.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A worldwide community of BJP's friends, supporters and activists: Friends of the BJP - Worldwid http://www.ofbjp.org/fob ----------------------------------------------------------------------
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