Musharraf Says 'Semiliterate Clerics' Distort Islam
November 06, 2006
President Pervez Musharraf (file photo) (epa)
Musharraf told the World Islamic Economic Forum in Islamabad that radical clerics who hold sway over "the masses" in the Muslim world are spawning terrorism instead of encouraging moderation.
He said such clerics reinforce misperceptions in the West that Islam is a religion of militancy and intolerance.
Musharraf, a major ally in the U.S.-led war on terrorism, was also critical of how Washington and Europe are battling terrorism. He said they are "putting the cart before the horse" by trying to address problems in Iraq, Lebanon, and Afghanistan without first resolving the dispute between Israel and the Palestinians.
Musharraf also told the forum that Muslim countries must empower their women, both politically and economically, as part of their development efforts.
(AP, Reuters)