ROME, 29 September 2004 — Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said yesterday the war on terror would only be won if the Islamic world rejected extremism and the West resolved it’s political disputes with Muslim countries.
Musharraf, speaking at the start of the three-day visit to Italy, also said the West had to turn its attention to the core issues that cause terrorism.
“The Muslim world needs to reject extremism and militancy and go on the path of social and economic development,” he said after talks with Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.
But he added that the West had to play its part. “We expect of the West — the European Union and the United States — to resolve all political disputes involving Muslims and also assist us in our social and economic development,” he said.
Musharraf said he had told Ciampi of Pakistan’s own efforts to combat terrorism.
“But I did indicate to him that the core issues which give rise to extremism, militancy and terrorism need to be addressed by the world,” he said.
“Because if we don’t do that, we may be winning the battle against terrorism but maybe we won’t succeed in winning the war against terrorism, which (is caused by) the core issues of political disputes, poverty and illiteracy,” he said. Musharraf, who will also meet Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Pope John Paul, said he did not support the notion of a clash of civilizations but that the theory itself was doing harm.
