Pakistanis heed president's call,
rally to back his decision to fight terror
By Marni McEntee,
Stars and Stripes
Photos by Scott Schonauer, Stars and
Stripes
Pakistani youths gather
for their nation's National Solidarity Day Thursday in Islamabad. |
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Several thousand Pakistanis rallied Thursday in the capital
city, pledging support for their president’s decision to back a war on terrorism.
In sharp contrast to the anti-American demonstrations held mostly by young male
students earlier, this rally was mainly women and private-school children marching on the
city’s parade ground.
President Gen. Pervez Musharraf called for a nationwide Day of Solidarity in support of
his offer to let the U.S. military use Pakistan’s airspace, and its logistical and
intelligence aid in any campaign against terrorists. A U.S. military delegation was in
Islamabad this week to discuss the details.
Announcements for the daylong rally predicted a turnout of 8,000 to 10,000 people.
Two Pakastani schoolgirls
participate in Pakistan’s National Solidarity Day Thursday in Islamabad. |
Waving banners that read "Love America, Love Pakistan," and "Islam Is
Peace," the women and children streamed down the parade ground, making strategic
stops for foreign journalists’ television and still cameras.
Amna Asghar, president of Islamabad’s Muslim League, herded about 200 women,
wearing the traditional Muslim wraps, head-scarves and veils, around the steaming
promenade.
"Our nation is behind him [Musharraf]. He has made the right decision," said
Asghar, who runs a textile export business. "We totally condemn this terrorism. That
is not Islam. Islam teaches love and peace."
Musharraf has said that 90 percent of Pakistanis are in favor of backing America in the
wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. Two polls conducted in the
country, however, indicated mixed views on the question, a senior American diplomat said.
A Pakistani woman
expresses her support of Pakistan and the United States with a homemade poster during a
rally Thursday in Islamabad. |
There is no doubt, though, that many in this city — particularly ex-military
officers, journalists and diplomats — have a deep-seated resentment toward the United
States. The ill will stems from, among other things, America’s perceived
"anti-Muslim" policies toward Israel and its sanctions against Pakistan
following the country’s 1999 nuclear weapons tests.
In a country where men rule the streets and women are mostly relegated to the home,
women’s vocal appearance was meant to show the support of the "silent
majority," the U.S. diplomatic official said.
School teacher Samina Javaid said that women are very much a part of the political
process here.
"Whenever there is a call, the women are the first to come to the streets,"
said Javaid, who brought elementary students from the Islamabad School of Arts and
Sciences. The kids, dressed in their white and blue uniforms, carried U.S., Canadian and
Pakistani flags, along with a colorful crayon sign declaring "We Are the World."
Pakastani children hold
the flags of their nation and the U.S. Thursday in Islamabad. |
Javaid said America "has always been negative about Pakistan," and the rally
was about much more than an affirmation of the United States.
"We are supporting the cause of peace, of oneness and equality," she said.
A similar rally Wednesday in the port city of Karachi was disrupted when someone threw
firecrackers into the crowd. The explosions initially were reported to be a grenade.
The rally in Islamabad, however, remained peaceful. More than 200 policemen, some
carrying automatic weapons, were on watch at the parade ground, Police Chief Nasir Durrani
said.
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