New Delhi: Addressing to a gathering of scholars and intellectuals from the Muslim world in Islamabad on Wednesday, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said extremist elements were trying to impose their rigid views on the vast majority and Muslim nations needed to work for reconciliation with the world.
Expressing his concern over the strife between the two sects could sow the seeds of a disaster that could engulf the entire Muslim world, Musharraf also said that the sectarian divide of the Sunnis and Shias needed to be addressed immediately.
Asserting that Islam was not at conflict with modernisation, Musharraf said in a lecture titled 'Vision of an Islamic, democratic and welfare state in Pakistan', that the Muslim world must take urgent steps to end sectarian strife.
Musharraf said Islam is not in conflict with democracy and modernisation but stressed that modernisation was distinct from westernisation.
PTI quoted Musharraf as saying, "Now is the time to act immediately to resolve long-standing political disputes including Palestine, Kashmir, Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon, in a just manner and with dignity and honour."
He pointed out that there is no consensus among Muslims about the interpretations of Islam and illiteracy had worsened the situation.
He said the teachings of Islam had generally been left to semi-literate religious people. He said that extremist and obscurantist elements are trying to impose their rigid views on the vast majority, while "fringe ultra-modern elements" are propagating secularism.
Stressing upon the resolution of lingering political disputes, Musharraf said, the socio-economic and political problems within the Muslim world also needed to be addressed urgently.
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