By IRNA,
Islamabad : Iranian Abassador to Pakistan Masha’Allah Shakeri said Muslims feel that they are being suppressed across the world under the pretext of the war on terror.
Speaking at a seminar on ‘Future Agenda of Change — Role for the Muslim World’, Shakeri said war has never been considered as solution to problems under international relations.
Envoys from several other countries together with the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Syed Mushahid Hussain also addressed the seminar which was organized by the government-run Council of Islamic Ideology in Islamabad.
Saying that five major issues concerned the Muslim world, the ambassador referred to first one as the unilateral policies of major powers in south Asia and Middle East crisis.
He said the second issue was the approach not to accept changes in Islamic world, the manifestation of which is in that Islamic revolution in Iran was not recognized.
Shakeri said the system in Iran was very democratic but the US insisted it was not democratic. “They should respect Islamic values of democracy”.
The Iranian envoy said the third reason was deviation from strategy of terrorism, including policies against Iran and other Muslim countries. He said there is a need for a united role against combating terrorism rather than linking terrorism with Muslim nations.
“The Muslim world is thinking that war on terrorism is to suppress Muslims, this is deviation from the approach to find out solution,” he said.
He regretted that economic sanctions are imposed on some countries but claims are made for free trade. “This approach also creates problems”.
Shakeri said that there had been expectations to solve the Middle East problem but bombardments continue and people are being subjected to injustice. “This thinking does not lead to any solutions but it will weaken confidence of the people”.
The Iranian ambassador said that the Bush administration presented more wars and crisis to the word. “But President Obama’s statement reflects a change. It is the right time to introduce change with Islamic nations. In order to combat terrorism, we must identify root causes.” He said the rights to defend the lands of Palestine, Afghanistan should be recognized.
He said education must be given importance instead of war, adding that slogans from Obama should be implemented and it should not be only slogans.
He said Iran would positively respond to any changes by the new US administration. “Any change by the US will be positively responded by Iran”.
He urged the US to respect Islamic values and said it should not impose its will on others. “They should work for democracy and peaceful solution of the problems, as people are fed up with bloodshed”. He said that people needed justice and cultural exchanges instead of military expenditures.
The Iranian envoy said the unipolar world has brought more problems including human smuggling, piracy and pirates.
Saudi ambassador Aseri told the seminar that there should be a regional approach against terrorism. He also called for looking into the root causes of the problems. He said blasphemous cartoons do not solve problems. He said the Muslims have not yet forgotten the insulting cartoons.
The Nigerian envoy advocated for Khalifat system as, in his opinion, other systems have not solved any problems.
The speakers condemned Israeli brutalities in Palestine and urged the world community to take note of the massacre of the Muslims.