Chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Pakistan's representative to Commission of Eminent Persons to the OIC Mushahid Hussain on Sunday welcomed the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and urged India to withdraw its forces from the Occupied Kashmir to follow the example of Israel.
He was addressing a press conference here at the residence of Zafar Bakhtawari, who has been nominated President of Culture Wing of PML.
Mushahid said the withdrawal of the Israeli settlers from Gaza was a victory for the Palestine Intefada, who had been struggling for their rights for the last many years.
He said that Israel had acted in a timely manner to respect the wishes of Palestinian population living in the Gaza area and it showed that the sacrifices of Palestinians and resistance had not been in vain.
He said it was for the second time in the last five years that Israel had been forced to withdraw from the occupied territory.
Mushahid, who is also Secretary General of Pakistan Muslim League, urged India to learn a lesson from the example of Israel and follow it in Occupied Kashmir because the people in Occupied Kashmir, like the people of Palestine, had rejected occupation and had continued their resistance against the unjust and illegal occupation.
The Senator said that reduction in tension in Palestine would contribute to the fight against terrorism.
He said that occupation, atrocities and human rights violations in Palestine and Kashmir were a major cause for promoting terrorism and extremism. He said that addressing this would help the world to promote the cause of peace.
On the question of recognising Israel, he said that Pakistan and the whole Muslim world had unanimous stand on this issue. He said the question of recognition of Israel by the Muslim world could be discussed when there would be complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied land of Palestine, and Israel would accept the independence of Palestine.
He said that Israeli withdrawal from Gaza would also contribute to better relations between the West and the Muslim world.
Welcoming the recent meetings of Pope Benedict XVI with the Muslims in Germany during his recent visit, Mushahid said this Christian-Muslim dialogue was essential to avert any possibility of 'clash of civilisations'. Welcoming the statement of the Pope that hate crimes based on anti-Semitism needed to be opposed, Mushahid said there was need to oppose Islamphobia which is on the rise in Europe like anti-Semitism.
He said that the Muslim world should enter into a dialogue with Jews and Christians to ensure that hatred on the basis of race, religion or sect, "whether it is anti-Semitism or Islamphobia", should be made a criminal offence through laws and policies aimed at eliminating such hate crimes.
He said that Muslim countries under OIC were making sincere efforts to promote inter-faith harmony and good relations with other religions.
He said OIC was being reorganised and the Commission of Eminent Persons had prepared its recommendations to present in the meeting of the Islamic scholars and intellectuals being held in Makkah in September and then these recommendations would be adopted by the extraordinary summit of OIC scheduled in Makkah by the end of the year.
He said that Senate Foreign Relations Committee had been making sincere efforts to promote Pakistan as a peace loving country.
He said so far five reports have been prepared by the Committee, while sixth report on Pakistan and OIC would be ready very soon.
Mushahid said that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee would also discuss the issue of Pakistanis in Indian jails in its next meeting to be held next week.
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