Round Table Discussion after Terrorist Attacks

11.36.06am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 5th Aug 2005

Sharon Bowles MEP with Ministers of the Pakistani Government who attended the Round Table Discussion in Aylesbury

Earlier this week, Sharon Bowles, MEP for the South East of England, attended a Round Table meeting organised by Aylesbury Town Council with Pakistani Government representatives. The meeting was organised by the Town Council to convey the great concern of the Government of Pakistan regarding the recent bombings and attempted bombings, in which, allegedly, some Muslims and/or people of Pakistani descent have been involved.

The meeting was attended by Sharon Bowles MEP, Mr Farid Ulla Khan, Joint Secretary of Kashmir for the Government of Pakistan and Mr Malik Mohammed Saad Khan, Assistant General inspector of Police for the Government of Pakistan and Aylesbury Superintendent of Police Carole Haveron.

Both the speakers from Pakistan gave a few words of introduction to the discussion. Mr Farid Ulla Khan said that just as it was now understood that environment was an issue that was not limited to individual countries, now it was beginning to be recognised that security issues were not just a matter for one country or another. Mr Malik Saad Khan explained that it was often the case that law enforcement agencies were not as well equipped as terrorists who could buy all kinds of arms on the black market.

During a wide ranging discussion, Sharon Bowles said "Although Pakistan has specific issues that breed discontent, such as Kashmir, there is a wider sense of discontent among Muslims in many countries that needs to be addressed.

"In times past Islam had a culture of inquiry, education and technical progress but now that has been lost and is seen as residing with, or even of being taken away by, western culture. It is dissatisfaction and anger that supports the ideology of extremists and to counteract the ideology we have to redirect that energy away from anger and into a desire to achieve through education and technical advance.

"It is pleasing to hear the representatives from Pakistan explain how efforts are being made to reform the madrassers to include education that will assist in obtaining jobs, and I understand fully the points they make about building hospitals and schools being at the forefront of showing that technology and advance is something for all Muslims to embrace as belonging to themselves."

Mr Farid Ullah Khan stressed that this was a fundamental issue that they were trying to address. It had been impeded by the fact that Muslims had not managed to embrace democracy, and they looked to the West for lessons in how to achieve that. However, it also had to be acknowledged that the West did not help this process by supporting at times non-democratic regimes as a means to an end. Much of the recent Kalashnikov culture resulted from irresponsibility in the 1980s.

Sharon Bowles has already agreed to go to Pakistan and it is now likely that a visit led by Aylesbury people will be organised early next year.