Pakistanis divided over 9/11 planner

[LRE]

Pakistanis divided over 9/11 planner

* Many believe Al Qaeda has brought dishonour to Islam

ISLAMABAD: A day after the alleged mastermind of Al Qaeda’s September 11 2001 attacks made his first appearance in a United States military court, Pakistanis remained divided between admiration and revulsion for their countryman, Khalid Sheikh Muhammad.

“He deserves to be hanged,” said Mazhar Awais, who runs a pharmacy in Peshawar. “Islam doesn’t allow the killing of innocent people. If you’re against the US government, it doesn’t mean kill Americans.”

Dishonour: Many Pakistanis believe Al Qaeda and its cohorts have brought dishonour to Islam by killing civilians and fellow Muslims. But anti-American sentiment runs deep in Pakistan, where President Pervez Musharraf is often cursed for caving in to pressure to join a “war on terrorism” many Pakistanis see as America’s, not theirs.

Muhammad, widely known by his initials KSM, has no shortage of admirers. “What’s happening in Guantanamo Bay? What’s happening in Iraq and Afghanistan? We believe the US is an aggressor and he’s a hero,” said Syed Sajjad Ali Shah, a retired government school principal in Peshawar.

Muhammad is on trial along with four Al Qaeda comrades for conspiring to murder civilians in the 2001 New York attacks.

They also face 2,973 counts of murder, one for each person killed when hijacked passenger planes slammed into the World Trade Centre, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field.

On his first appearance, Muhammad asserted his right to act as his own attorney, declared his wish to be a martyr, and chanted an Islamic verse in Arabic, before pausing to cheerfully translate its meaning into English. His bravado resonated among Pakistanis looking for a hero to stand up against US hegemony and Muslim rulers dependent on American support.

“He’s a beacon of light for Muslims. It’s the time to say no to the US and the West. Otherwise history won’t forgive us,” said Dr Tariq Bin Wahab from Multan.

“We have to get rid of US agents like General Musharraf who have sold our country for his vested interests.” Others were sickened by Muhammad’s posturing in court. “He’s a killer; he’s not a martyr,” said Sameena Gul, a human rights activist in Islamabad.

Mobeen Ansari, a college student in Karachi, struck a similar note. “I think he’s a criminal and the 9/11 incident has just caused hatred,” he said. More dispassionately, some saw the US military trial becoming a public relations disaster for Washington, as few people will believe it could be fair.

“He’s been charged (with) a global terror act, so they should hold a global level trial. It cannot be a military trial,” said Muhammad Akram, a 45-year-old lawyer in Karachi.

Others clung to conspiracy theories that the events of 9/11 had nothing to do with Muslims or Pakistanis.

“I don’t think this was done (by anyone) from our part of the world,” said Nosheen Razzak, a radio jockey, from Karachi. “I don’t think it was done by Muslims.” reuters

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...008_pg7_28