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CNN Live Event/Special

Pakistani Television Airs Musharraf's Taped Address

Aired January 12, 2002 - 09:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Pakistani television is now broadcasting a highly anticipated speech by President Pervez Musharraf. The White House says President Bush has a special interest in this speech.

Let's listen in.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

GENERAL PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PRESIDENT OF PAKISTAN (through translator): ... and expect them (AUDIO GAP) and present Islam in its true light. I urge them to curb elements which are exploiting religion for vested interests and bringing a bad name to our faith," unquote.

After this, in this regard, I have taken many steps. First of all, in 2000 I started to interact with Taliban and advised them for tolerance and balance. And I said too, "Any terrorist in Pakistan engaged in terrorism and they got asylum in Afghanistan, they should return back."

Unfortunately, we were not successful in any step. Because of this reason in the beginning of 2000, I think in February, borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan, I sealed them. And I gave directions that any student from any madrasa should not cross the border from Afghanistan to Pakistan without our permission.

After that, I sent many delegations to Mullah Omar. I gave them advice off and on. After that, 15 February 2001, we passed the act of Zapin (ph) Ordinance (ph). Because of that, in Pakistan, de- weaponization campaign was launched.

In seated (ph) conference in June, I gave lecture to all olamars (ph) and I spoke very hard to them about their religious fundamentalism.

On 14 August, we took a very strong decision in which Lashkar-e- Jangwe (ph) and Sipah-e-Mohammed (ph) organizations were banned. And Sipah-e-Sahaba and TJB (ph) were taken under observation.

After that, many times to olamars (ph) and mushia (ph) I invited them and I just discussed with them. The reason was that again terrorism, we should work together with olamars (ph). In the beginning of my government in 1999 (ph), these steps were taken from that beginning (ph). The result of my -- these activities are we, about our nationalism, we started our activities about these fundamental activities because this is our interest, for our national interest. We are self-conscious, and we want to get rid of this problem from our society.

And this is for the development of internal, within the country, when 11 September there was terrorist acts against the United States. Because of this terrorist act, the whole world was changed.

There was change in all of the world.

And we decided to join international coalition, and about that I have talked with you many times before. This decision was taken because of the principle (ph) stand and for our national cause. Because of the gods (ph) I miss (ph), our decision was very true because our conscience was true, but why (ph) the God gave us the spot?

I'm very happy the big majority of Pakistan was in favor of this decision, and the people's decision on (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to support us, I was very happy.

But I'm not happy because some of the religious clerics were not happy with this decision. I'm sad because their opposition was not on the basis of any principle. It was not on the basis of any national interest, but because of their vested and selfish interests, they were doing it. And I am very sad because of this step (ph).

They tried their best to annoy the people of Pakistan with demonstrations and rallies, but their all efforts were in vain. And this was because of the support of people of Pakistan, they were not successful. And I'm proud of the people of Pakistan because they can take such a right decision against those wrong people.

I have many times interacted with olamars (ph) and (UNINTELLIGIBLE), the scholars, the clerics of Pakistan, and interchanged discussions. And I can tell very proudly, this discussion was very fruitful. And many people with conscience and with the knowledge, they are not mingling the religion with the politics.

And these fundamentalists to whom I address (ph), they are those people. Most of all the people who just accept them as the contractors of Islam and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) God forbids they think that there's no other Muslim except them. There are those criminals that were thinking that alibans (ph) are the only symbols of Islam or they were doing practice of purist Islam.

For example, they were fighting with Northern Alliance people, and God forbids they think that they were not the Muslims. And there are those people, they never talk about the meditation of God. They fight. Because it is difficult, because how they can reply answer for their luxuries, vehicles.

And these, I want to ask to them, they want to befool the thousands of Pakistanis and bring problems to the Pani (ph) people.

The people they went to support, they did let them down. And now because of this foolishnes, we must learn -- all of Pakistanis, we must learn lessons.

And we must remember we are all Pakistanis and our identity is Pakistan. The soil, this land, this is ours. If we go any other place, we will be like stepsons. These soils, this land is ours. And if you go out, you will be facing troubles, problems.

This religious extremism is from many years. And all of the people are now fed up and it's out of our patience. Gentlemen (ph) is trying to get rid of this clash of culture (ph). Everybody is not happy. This is the reason we banned Sipah-e-Sahaba and Lashkar-e- Jangwe (ph).

And this condition now is the day for a very important decision, that people want to make Pakistan -- do we want to make Pakistan a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) country, the religious education is enough for the people?

Or do we want to make Pakistan a progressive, dynamic and developed (ph) state?

People's decision is very clear. They have decided. And in my opinion, their decision is Prophet (ph) (UNINTELLIGIBLE) peace be upon him is about their carrier and the teachings of (UNINTELLIGIBLE). We are going to make progress. Pakistan will be going on the same paths. This is our decision.

Let us say honestly, these few religious extremists for Pakistan and for Islam, what they are doing, first of all, because Afghanistan, they did -- they started agitational activities, and how loss we had.

And they destroyed the international image of Pakistan. And we were projected as a very backward country in the international media, and our economy was destroyed, damaged.

And a lot of our external orders were placed, were canceled, and we did not receive any new orders. And the workers of the factories, they lost their daily vision (ph), their livelihood, and they lost their livelihood, their jobs.

Apart from this, they made Pakistan Afghanistan Defense Council.

Apart from damaging Pakistan and the wrong ideas, they never taught positive things. Never they started to have a positive for peace, for unity.

And between Taliban and the Northern Alliance, they should make sort of peace and negotiations. And they should give advice for tolerance, for negotiations. And did their part to collect money for rehabilitation, about the Afghanistan people, Afghans. There's a lot of poverty. What they thought they should get (UNINTELLIGIBLE) for the poverty of Afghanistan. Nobody thought about welfare except Maulana Abdul Sutar Adi (ph) or foreign, non-Muslim and use our United Nations organizations. Medicine and food supply, they are supplying them. They are thinking about welfare. Our people, they are just fighting and killing, and they don't think any sort of thing about Pakistan, about Afghanistan.

I want to ask them that only killing and burning and hatred is the only thing? This is the teaching of Islam?

Now, apart from Afghanistan, let us see their activities, their progress. They have started the war of tribes and the difference sectors (ph). Now different sects and tribes are from the very beginning in Islam. There is no mutual understanding, the freedom of heart and freedom of thinking. There is no problem.

This intellectual difference must be up to the intellectual debates only.

Now, what they do? They kill each other. There's no tolerance among each other. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) it's said (ph) Pakistan for every religion is equally -- will show equality. Leave the religion here. We are Muslims, but killing each of us -- what we will do for others. I think we have converted (UNINTELLIGIBLE) very less to Muslim, but many Muslims were declared coffers (ph) among the Muslims.

From all these things, how we have got lost, you know? Our highly qualified doctors and (UNINTELLIGIBLE), civil engineers; the people who are the players of the society, they were destroyed, they were damaged. Their dynasties were damaged. But the biggest lost suffered by Pakistan because they were the pillars of the society and they were damaged.

And extremism in most (UNINTELLIGIBLE) we started killing each other. And now the people in these holy places, in the mosques, in the religious places like the (UNINTELLIGIBLE), they can't go because they fear, because we will stand police in front of the mosques for our protection. We say Islam is a deed, a way of life -- the way of life.

Did Islam teach us this way, that we should be afraid of our Muslim brethren? And in our own holy, religious places we should be scared off, and we should be looking for the police protection?

What else they have done for Islam? Places like mosques were being misused, started hatred and just to exploit the people for terrorism against their sects, their tribes, their (UNINTELLIGIBLE), against the government.

And you should know, I want to tell you that many terrorism groups were arrested in Karachi. The adju (ph) was briefing me. Their leader, the Pesh imam of the Mali (ph) mosque have killed many people by himself. And this is the situation, the position of the mosque. And we are making sort of (UNINTELLIGIBLE), with the guard (ph) himself. And they have created state within a state. And they have challenged the government.

And let us go briefly for some madrasas, the institutions. These madrasas are one of the excellent organizations of the world. There is free boarding and lodging for poor people. In my opinion, no angel in the world can compete with this organization, madrasas organization.

The majority of the madrasas are giving wonderful education. Apart from religious education, they give other scientific knowledge and studies. They give the computer technology education.

And we should -- I am thankful to these madrasas and their organizations, that without the help of the government, they are doing a wonderful job.

I want to tell you this thing, that the projection of these madrasas internationally, I have done this projection that these madrasas are the welfare organizations.

We should encourage them, and Pakistan has done the same thing.

And these are the good points. Let us see the negative points.

Many madrasas are there, they only give religious education. And that education is just so many -- the so-called religious scholars produce this sort of religious education.

It's out of sadness, let us sum up the madrasas -- the education institutions. They are influenced by the political influence -- political parties' influence, or they have self-made political parties they're affiliated with. And they teach them terrorism, hatred -- religious hatred, in spite of teaching them friendship and brotherhood.

Remember, in the history of Islam, they staged -- the respect of the madrasa was very high, that this was the center of the education. When Islam was on the top, all the departments of education -- mathematics education, science, religion, astronomy, astrology -- it was all taught in the madrasas.

Big, big scholars of Islam -- Igna Sina (ph), Igna Khartoum (ph) -- were the products of these madrasas. And we know this, if you have read the history, that from seventh to 15th century, transfer of technology was spread among the world from Islam, from Muslims.

And now, with some opposition, in Islam we say that if you want to get education (UNINTELLIGIBLE) you can go up to (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, in the war of (UNINTELLIGIBLE), the prisoner of the -- the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) prisoners were told by prophet, peace be upon him, that if you teach some illiterate Muslims, then they will be released.

And now what is the situation? In our own home, if we don't want to educate all these education knowledge, then how we can follow? Now, think, where are we now? Where we are taking country (UNINTELLIGIBLE)? There's no government. Pakistan is made a soft state, and there is no super (ph) law. There is no -- and we can't tolerate this situation. The question arises: What is the right part? First of all, Islam education with the society, and the society with the hatred and the terrorism should be taken away. And in between the friendship and the brotherhood, we should give courage to them. And with force, you can't change anybody's ideas.

You cannot impose ideas with force on anybody. Apparently you can change something, but you can't change the minds and hearts of the peoples.

If you want to bring real change and for that there are personal reasons. It comes from the spirit (ph) intellectual (ph). It comes from the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) of God. And this mark imposed on us, that by force, you want to change others, if you know that it will not come, they why you're forcing others?

If we forget the example of the Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, all his followers, Islams separate only because of their personal examples. And because of their true leadership, because of that, Islam spreads. And there was change in the world, in the people.

We forgot our examples of our ancestors (UNINTELLIGIBLE). They spread Islam. Did they forced and spread Islam? No. Because of their personal examples, they spread Islam.

These details of madrasas are because of my -- you know, I am very sad. Where are those madrasas and where are these madrasas?

And the present situation, we must change and for the betterment of the society and the country.

And the second thing, for the concept of jihad, I want to tell you in detail. This is such a contentious issue that we should understand it fully.

In Islam, jihad is not only militarily jihad. Sometimes we have, in poverty and ignorance -- for against poverty did we part (ph) our (ph) jihad against these things. And this is the biggest jihad, and Pakistan must do jihad against these items.

And I know after the (UNINTELLIGIBLE), Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, said that jihad (UNINTELLIGIBLE), the small jihad is finished and now the big jihad is started. That means the militancy jihad, which is small jihad, is finished; and now the poorness, the backwardness, the illiteracy -- the big jihad is against that. And Pakistan needs jihad Akbar (ph), the big jihad.

Remember, the militancy jihad is only -- the decision can be the decision of the present government. And Allah will divulge (ph); it's not Pakistan who is responsible to spread that jihad entirely on worldwide level.

And now I'm talking for the third part. The third point is that our attention, the responsibilities of the God, apart from that should be -- we should talk about hukkuku ibad (ph) in schools and college and madrasas. The true practice of Islam, mediation of (UNINTELLIGIBLE), are the matters that I think with the respect of (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

We had totally denied the matters arising in Islamic education. The differences, there is no place in Islam for the differences. We need in this regard in Islam, we should teach the good things -- tolerance, forgiveness, compassion, the brotherhood, the justice.

That we should teach the true spirit of Islam, not the negative. And we should finish the negative approach, the negative thinking.

We have made new madrasa strategy, and we should practice on that. And the goodness, the good qualities of the madrasas...

PHILLIPS: You've been watching the taped address on Pakistani television by President Pervez Musharraf, making his major address, addressing terrorist to stop exploiting his religion and making the point that any terrorist in Pakistan will not be tolerated.

Since September 11, he talked about the terrorist attack and that it changed the world and that he is decided to join this international coalition, to not tolerate terrorism and that these -- the people opposing, these extremists that are opposing this stance, are not focusing on the national interests but rather their own selfish action. We will continue to monitor Mr. Musharraf's speech.

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