Shashi Tharoor on Pravasis and Pakistan

Thursday, 08 January , 2009, 03:40 Last Updated: Thursday, 08 January , 2009, 03:56

Dr Shashi Tharoor wears many hats. He was India’s official candidate for the succession to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2006, and came a close second out of seven contenders in the race. He is also the author of nine books, as well as hundreds of articles, op-eds and book reviews in a wide range of publications, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the International Herald Tribune, Time, Newsweek and The Times of India. He has served for two years as a Contributing Editor and occasional columnist for Newsweek International. Since April 2001 he has authored a fortnightly column in The Hindu and since January 2007 in The Times of India. A recipient of several awards, including a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, he was conferred India’s highest honour for Overseas Indians, the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, in 2004. In Chennai for the 7th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), Tharoor, who, among other things, is now chairman of the Dubai based Afras Ventures, spoke to Ramananda Sengupta on the significance of the divas, as well as the futility of a war with Pakistan. Excerpts: What does the Pravasi Divas mean to you? I think it is an extremely important opportunity to give the pravasis from all over the world an opportunity to come back to their homeland, to revive their contacts and their allegiance to their homeland, in a way that both gives them a sense of what the country can do for them as well as what they can do for their country. And the result of these last several/seven Pravasi Bharitiya Divas’ has been in my sense to solidify this sense of belonging and that to me is very important. PBD 2009 gets going Do you see this as an attempt to replicate what the Chinese have done with their diaspora? The Chinese policy has always been very different. The Chinese believe that once a Chinese always a Chinese. Doesn’t matter what passport you have, where you live, how long ago or where you have gone, etc., and they have acted on that. Whereas India has traditionally had the opposite attitude towards the diaspora. The traditional attitude of the government, various governments, has been: ‘If you’ve made your bed to sleep outside it is not our problem.’ It is only in recent years that this has begun to change, and this change is what is being reflected in a new way of going forward. I believe that we don’t need to look for parallels with other countries, certainly the kind of organized, systematic way in which NRIs, PIOs and so on are being dealt with have no equivalent. ‘PBD helped accelerate reverse brain drain’ So this might be an opportunity for NRIs to touch base with their country, but what does it get for the country itself, in tangible terms? In tangible terms this is an opportunity to channel investments. It has provided a number of Indian states a major platform to attract the interests of people from around the world, a sort of one stop shop, and it has been able, in my view, to generate much greater awareness, as well as to use a buzz word, a lot more networking, both amongst themselves as well as with Indian officialdom as well as Indian businesses. The very fact that the PBD is linked to a trade fair or a trade exhibition confirms the relevance of this element. ‘NRIs must be utilized by India’ The Indian American community has been punching above its weight in terms of its clout as compared to its numbers. But does the Indian government have a moral or ethical right to leverage that for its own benefit? You are referring, it seems to me, to the nuclear deal in part. That is certainly an example where a very very strong role was played by the diaspora. While you may not need a Pravasi Bharitiya Divas to do this, but to be able to create, as it were, a lobby for your country in a third country, is an extremely significant advantage of our NRI policy. In fact, again China has no equivalent to that. Indian Americans are fiercely loyal to Indian interests, in a way that lets say Italian Americans are not to Italy. So that is therefore something that India can legitimately leverage. But if you look at a different example, for instance Malaysia, where there has been controversy over the treatment of Indians, India is walking on much thinner ice there, because in many of these cases these are Malaysian citizens who are, in a sense, having problems with their own government. So legally, as well as practically, India has no locus standi in the matter. So we find that this is not a one size fits all approach. So if you have American citizens who are willing to help you in matter of Indian interests, great. The more difficult issue is to get Malaysian citizens to help you in a similar way, though in both cases you are talking about Indian ethnicities. So we have to look at each situation, look at the politics of it, look at the realities of the nature of that minority’s influence within its own society, The Malaysian Indians are a higher percentage of Malaysian society than Indian Americans are in America, but I would argue that the political clout of Indian Americans is greater, in absolute terms, than that of Malaysian Indians. And I said this even though I’ve met a couple of Malaysian members of parliament of Indian origin here this evening. And I mean no disrespect to them, but it is a collective effort. In the American system, Indian Americans lobbying collectively for something like the nuclear deal, is seen as much more acceptable than a similar attempt by Malaysian Indians would be in that context. India, US seal N-deal, restore nuclear trade For the first few PBDs, Indian American delegates by far outnumbered the others, but I am told that last year and this year, Malaysians delegates have at least caught up with, if not surpassed the American contingent in terms of numbers…what inferences could one draw from that? If true, the inference I would draw from that is that there is much more awareness about the opportunities. Malaysian Indians have also become far more active politically in Malaysia, so perhaps this is an international counterpart of that, but I am still not sure about this, I would double check the numbers. Nevertheless, the government is likely to believe that it can get a lot more out of the Indian American community, whether in terms of political benefits or in terms of investments, than it can from the Malaysian Indian community. Which again shows there are multiple objectives. With the Malaysian Indians we are looking at goodwill building, reinforcement of allegiances, networking and all of that, and much less of the other things we are looking for from the Indian Americans. Clan-bonding gains popularity among Malaysian Indians On a totally different note, what options do you see before the Indian government when it comes to Pakistan? I feel very strongly that this is the most important foreign policy challenge facing the country today. In fact, it is not just a foreign policy challenge, it is a challenge which infringes upon the security and well being of India and Indians. We are facing a neighbour that is fundamentally dysfunctional, that at very many important and influential levels is malicious towards our country, and which has been directly implicated in a large number of criminal actions on our soil that have taken Indian lives. At the same time, we should know and we do know that war or a military solution is not the answer. It is not the answer because that is not going to deliver results. Any comparison to Israel, as some are rather facilely drawing today, is completely mistaken because the parallels simply do not apply. Any action by India on Pakistani territory would invite an immediate retaliation, which could quickly escalate into a war that neither side could win. So we are not looking a situation where there is such an option available, and what is even more important, if we were to try and take such an action, we would play into the hands of the terrorists. Because what they want is for us to attack Pakistan so that everybody in Pakistan would have to rally beneath the flag, thereby making common cause with the Islamists, and the Pakistani army would then be emboldened or justified to abandon the unpopular fight against the Al Qaeda and the Taliban on the western frontier, and move to a familiar enemy on the east, namely us. And we have no reason to oblige them by taking those steps. So what we need therefore is a solution that does not do that, and at the same time protects our security. And if you look at it in that context, the government’s current actions seem to me to be extremely well thought out, which is using diplomatic pressure to increasingly up the ante on Pakistan, isolate it diplomatically, and at the same time make it vulnerable to demands from its biggest friends, allies and sponsors that it behave if it wants to continue getting these benefits. That is what we are doing. Pakistan officially admits Kasab its national Do you believe that this will actually deliver results? Will? That remains to be seen. Could? Yes, that is definitely the case, but certainly, at this stage I don’t see very many options. I think there are many more steps we could take, along the same lines to achieve the same results. The presentation of the dossier is a first step, but that could be followed by other possible steps, both at the bilateral level with key countries, and with multilateral agencies, including the UN. There are many other steps we could take without sort of going into the war mode. The war mode would be folly, and it would really damage our attempts to accomplish what we trying to right now. 'Go for Pakistan’s jugular now' So you don’t subscribe to the Clash of Civilisations theory? That I never have. First of all I thought that poor Mr (Samuel) Huntington, who so recently passed away, was fundamentally wrong in the way he defined these civilizations, he was fundamentally wrong in the assumption that civilisations could be analogous, they are not. Because every civilisation has immense variety within itself. If you take, for instance, the Islamic civilisation, you will find that on very specific issues of policy there are widespread disagreements. When the Taliban was in power in Afghanistan, there was a huge difference in the policies of say Pakistan on the one hand and Iran on the other. Or Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which recognised the Taliban, and 40 other countries that did not. So to reduce them all into one shapeless, undifferentiated lump, was careless to say the least. Turbulent Pak poses threat to world: US Author, CEO, contender for the UN secretary-general’s post, philanthropist, journalist, husband, father…where do you find the time for all this and more? You only need to find time if you have lost it in the first place. I try not to lose time, I try to do as much as I can in the time that I have. But I also hope that I would not be defined by any of these titles. A human being has a number of responses to the world. The world I see around me, the world I engage with. Some of those responses are manifested in my writings, some in my speaking, some through my work with the UN, some through other charitable activities I am involved in… and all of these activities come from the same human being, the same pair of eyes that are looking on the world. I hope there will still be other things that I might do, to see if I can somehow make an impact on the issues that I care about.

8 Surprising Causes of Bad Breath

Halitosis can't always be brushed or flossed away—but having breakfast might help defeat it

By Megan Johnson

Posted December 2, 2008

Has a friend or significant other gently hinted that your breath is, um, pungent? (Many halitosis sufferers can't tell.) Brushing and flossing more diligently may do the trick, and U.S. News's Sarah Baldauf offered other suggestions earlier this year. But a few more minutes at the sink won't always help, say experts. Here are eight causes of bad breath that may surprise you:

Medications. Saliva rinses away bacteria that foul the breath, and many drugs, among them antidepressants, diuretics, and even aspirin, can dry the mouth.

Bacteria. The stink-creating kind mostly hang out on the tongue, happily churning out gases as they munch on food particles and substances broken down from saliva, and multiply at night, when the salivary glands slow down (hence morning breath). Some people harbor more species of malodorous bacteria than others do, which may be why certain individuals are especially halitosis-prone. This month, a study in the Journal of Medical Microbiology suggests that H. pylori, the same bug that is often responsible for stomach ulcers, can cause bad breath and gum disease if it finds a home in the mouth.

Respiratory tract infections. Tooth and gum infections are recognized sources of bad breath. But so are bronchitis, sinusitis, and even a cold. RTIs break down tissue, starting a flow of cells and mucus that feed bacteria that create foul odors.

Skipping breakfast. Besides the well-established advantages to body and mind of having a good breakfast, it helps quell morning breath by stimulating saliva production and scrubbing bacteria from the tongue. (But lay off the sardine-onion sandwich.)

Diet. Foods high in protein or dairy products generate large amounts of amino acids, which are fodder for bacteria. A diet low in carbs burns stored fat, creating toxic-smelling ketones. And last year, researchers linked bad breath with obesity, although the basis is unclear.

Mouth breathing. Any condition that dries the tissues of the mouth, preventing saliva from washing away bacteria, encourages bad breath. Candidates include sleep apnea, snoring, and asthma.

Ongoing illnesses. A potent breath can signal particular diseases. Kidney failure produces a fishy smell and uncontrolled diabetes generates fruity fumes, for instance.

Alcohol. Heavy alcohol consumption also can dry out the mouth.

Terrorists have no religion..?...True/False...?

Jihad by Iyer on 2009-01-07 02:32:30.560524+05:30
Bluff. Islam and Koran preach terrorism. People belonging to other religions are called "Kafirs" (Infidels) by Islamic religionists.

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Islam and Terrorism by Dr.Chandra k.Shekar on 2009-01-07 02:14:38.274925+05:30
It is great for him and other muslims to say terrorism has no religion and to delink terrorism from religion. The problem is that most of the massacres are carried out by people whose names start with or end in mohommed or masood or ismail or omar or osama and they make no secret of wanting to kill innocent people in the name of islam with the aim of going to(?Islamic) heaven.Also in J

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OMAR.....ke liya meri Umar by dv sharma on 2009-01-06 20:52:04.492479+05:30
Omar be bold, active, sensible(you are), humanitarion....you can be the next Prime Minister of India, because economist always busy in calculations. We want youngesters. Your presence on the horizon of India is welcome.

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Good point by Vasireddy on 2009-01-06 20:20:39.514457+05:30
Very matured speech and to the point. Keep it up.

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Delink religion from terrorism, says Omar by v ramiya on 2009-01-06 19:37:59.683177+05:30
grievances should be addressed. no doubt about it. but islamic terrorism is real. those who think it is nothing to do with islam are people who close their eyes and believe world does not exist. every islamic terrorist group clearly indicates what its objectives are in their website. none indicates terrorism is due to lack of opportunities for fellow muslims. rather, they openly emphasize the need to convert India into an islamic nation. it is wise to accept their proclamations than to listen to leftist and terrorist sympathizers as to the reasons for islamic terrorism.

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Proof not enough, says Pakistan

By JAVED SIDDIQUE and SHAIQ HUSSAIN
ISLAMABAD - Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Satya Pal had a meeting with Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir here on Monday and reportedly provided evidence regarding alleged involvement of Pakistani nationals in Mumbai incidents.

Pakistan has made clear on the US that the evidence provided by India is insufficient and no action can be based upon it, reliable sources said.
The evidence provided to Pakistan by the Indian envoy consisted of the statement of confession by Ajmal Kasab who is in confinement under Indian intelligence agencies and a cellphone conversation, reliable sources scribed to daily Nawa-i-Waqt/TheNation.
India has also alleged that the arms and other articles recovered from Ajmal Kasab and other people bear the inscription “Made in Pakistan”. Pakistan has also made it clear to US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher that the proofs brought to Pakistan were too insufficient to be made a ground for any action and that the statement evoked from Kasab under torture and violence of investigation agencies has no legal status, the source said. It is expected that Pakistan will tender reply to India in a day or two to come.
The government has formed a committee comprising of officials of different investigating departments that would review evidences provided by India about Mumbai attacks Monday.
According to a private TV channel, the committee would review documented proves India has provided about Mumbai attack. The committee would prepare a report after taking a detailed review in this connection, the channel added.
The Indian ‘dossier’ provided to Pakistan on Monday contains the doctored confession of Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist held during Mumbai terror attacks, records of GPS and satellite phones used by the attackers and transcript of conversations between the attackers and their alleged handlers in Pakistan.
The dossier also contains the Indian demand for the handing over of Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Zarar Shah, who are blamed by New Delhi for masterminding and facilitating the Mumbai attacks.
Both activists of Lashkar-e-Taiba are currently in detention on Pakistani soil but Islamabad has been rejecting the demands by New Delhi for their extradition saying in case of strong evidence the country’s own law would follow the suit.
Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon too while talking to newsmen in New Delhi on Monday said that under international conventions and SAARC Charter, Pakistan was obliged to extradite the perpetrators of the terror attacks in India.
“The so-called Indian evidence also includes details about weapons and other articles recovered from the attackers with claims by New Delhi that all that came from Pakistan and were recovered from the possession of Kasab and others involved in Mumbai carnage,” said a senior official here requesting anonymity.
However, he said the Indian evidence, by and large, was based on confession of Kasab that how he got in touch with Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan, how he was trained by Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi in Azad Kashmir and other parts of country, his travel to Karachi along with other terrorists and finally their sea voyage to Mumbai for attacks on Indian financial hub.
According to the official, the India’s dossier contained nothing new and it was compilation of allegations against Pakistan that had already appeared in Indian media.
He said that Pakistan too had prepared a dossier that contained evidence on Indian involvement in acts of terror in tribal areas and Balochistan with focus on the role of Indian consulates in Afghanistan in this regard.
“Pakistan will soon send its dossier to Washington and other world capitals to let them know which state in South Asia has been supporting the menace of terror on the soil of neighbouring states,” he said.
He once again ruled out the handing over of persons wanted by India saying there was no extradition treaty between the two sides for the purpose.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, who confirmed on Monday the receiving of evidence from India on Mumbai attacks, said the quarters concerned were examining the veracity of material provided by India.
“The material has been received in Pakistan now and is being examined by concerned authorities,” the spokesman said.
India, in its dossier also said that it could not believe a commando-type operation that was in evidence in Mumbai attacks could have taken place without anybody in the Pakistani establishment knowing it, according to official.
Eminent analyst General (Retired) Talat Masood when contacted to have his view on Indian demand for extradition of alleged Mumbai carnage perpetrators under SAARC convention said there was clear difference between a formal extradition treaty and a convention.
He said that the SAARC convention was meant for better cooperation among the member states against terrorism in general and it did not bind any state to hand over its citizens to other country for involvement in criminal acts.
However, he said that the persons could only be handed over under the convention if the state that had been asked for extradition of any individual was in agreement on the issue with the country that made such demand. He added that it required mutual agreement of two sides.
On question of handing over some Pakistani citizens to US in the past, he said that Pakistan was the major ally of United States in the ongoing war on terror thus fully cooperating with Washington in this regard but had greatly suffered in the process.
He said the relations that Pakistan had with India could not be compared to those it had with the United States.
Agencies add: “The Government of Pakistan will evaluate the information provided by India so far”, it was conveyed to Indian High Commissioner Satyabrata Pal, who called on Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir.
The Indian Government has expressed the hope that it will get cooperation of Government of Pakistan in carrying out further investigations.
Earlier, stepping up its diplomatic offensive, India handed over to Pakistan evidence linking it to the Mumbai attacks and prepared to share the proof with the world community with an expectation that Islamabad would cooperate in punishing the culprits.
Describing the Mumbai attacks as an “unpardonable crime”, India asked Pakistan to promptly follow up on the evidence by holding further probe there and share the results with New Delhi so that the guilty are brought to justice.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi said that he had also written to his counterparts around the globe, giving details of the Mumbai attacks, and hoped that the “world will unite” in ensuring an end to cross-border terrorism faced by India.
“We have today handed over to Pakistan evidence of the links with elements in Pakistan of the terrorists who attacked Mumbai on November 26, 2008,” Mukherjee told reporters in New Delhi on Monday.
His statement came soon after Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik to hand over the dossier, which includes confession of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist held during the Mumbai attacks, and other material.
“What happened in Mumbai was an unpardonable crime,” Mukherjee said and asked Pakistan to implement the bilateral commitments it has made at the highest levels to India and “practice its international obligations,” he said.
The External Affairs Ministry said “this material is linked to elements in Pakistan” and “it is our expectation that the government of Pakistan will promptly undertake further investigations in Pakistan and share the results with us so as to bring the perpetrators to justice.”
The evidence includes confession of Ajmal Amir Kasab, records of GPS and satellite phones used by the attackers and transcript of conversations between the attackers and their handlers in Pakistan during the three-day gunbattles.
It also includes details about weapons and other articles recovered from the 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists who allegedly came from Karachi and attacked Mumbai on 26th November last year.

“We are also briefing all our friendly countries,” the External Affairs Minister said.
“I have written to my counterparts around the world giving them details of the events in Mumbai and describing in some detail the progress that we have made in our investigations and the evidence that we have collected,” Mukherjee said.
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon held a special briefing for the Ambassadors and High Commissioners of over a dozen countries, including the US, UK, Israel, France, Japan, Germany, Turkey and Canada in New Delhi to apprise them of the details of investigation into the Mumbai attacks.
Menon apprised the diplomats of how suspected 10-heavily armed Pakistan nationals came from Karachi and carried out attacks on November 26, 2008, and how they were in touch with their handlers in Pakistan even during the three-day engagement with security forces.
“India presented a very strong case. We will examine it,” said Australian High Commissioner John McCarthy after the briefing.
Diplomat of another country, on condition of anonymity, said he was quite pleased and “convinced” with the evidence presented by the Foreign Secretary.
Addressing a Press conference here, Menon said it was almost impossible to believe that the Pakistani establishment had no foreknowledge of attacks against Mumbai.
“It’s hard to believe that something of this scale that took so long in preparation... could occur without anybody anywhere in the (Pakistan) establishment knowing that this was happening,” Menon told reporters.
He ruled out joint investigation with Pakistan and vowed to go to any extent for the evidence of Mumbai attacks. He again alleged that Mumbai attack was planned in Pakistan, adding that evidence collected from the lone survivor Ajmal Kasab had also been provided to Pakistan.
He, however, admitted that India had not got any evidence about direct involvement of the ISI in the attacks.
Menon, however, said it “beggars the imagination” that nobody in the Pakistani establishment had any foreknowledge.
“Most of the investigation now has to be done in Pakistan,” he said of the probe.
“We expect them to investigate, look into it, share the results with us and we’ll take it from there.”
The Indian Foreign Secretary said Delhi is no longer interested in words or mechanisms but wants “actual action” from Pakistan.
Menon, who described the Mumbai terror strike as amounting to a “commando attack”, said, “We are no longer interested in words, in mechanisms; we want actual action against perpetrators.”
“We don’t think there is any such thing as a non-state actor,” Menon said categorically, in a reference to Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari labelling the terrorists as non-state actors.
“We have given them (Pakistan) material that has come out of our investigation that leads to Pakistan. All the material leads to elements in Pakistan. We expect them to investigate, share the results with us. We will take it from there.”
Referring to the fact that the Lashkar-e-Taiba had been banned but its front Jamaatud Daawa was still functioning, Menon said: “What we have seen so far does not impress us.”
He said India was seeing “an unprecedented level of international support” that was very heartening.
He added that he didn’t know whether this was sufficient to induce Pakistan to act. “That is for them and Pakistan. That is not for me to say. The primary responsibility here is for Pakistan to act.”
Agencies add: As per NNI Pakistani foreign secretary has told the High Commissioner that Pakistan is probing Mumbai blast at its own side in order to bring complete facts to light. He also told theHC that Pakistan would also scrutinize the information provided by India. Foreign Secy also reiterated the proposal of joint probe offering that Pakistan was prepared to send a high-level deputation to India and to form a joint commission headed by national security advisor of both the countries.
Pakistan foreign office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq has confirmed the receipt of documents reportedly containing the said evidence, ANN reports.

Kasab- The Killer Paki Terrorist

Readers Opinions	Write to Editor
Kasab thought he was on Mission Kashmir
Naeem,Pakistan,says:I am a Paksiatni and feel very upset what the likes of Kasab have done in Mumbai. This man is not a Muslim or a Hindu or a Christain. He is a terrorist. Both he and the people who brainwashed him should be shown no mercy. Get all the information out of him so that his trainers are revealed as well. Atthis point, I don't care where he came from.  [5 Jan, 2009 1124hrs IST] Sharad C. Misra,Mumbai,says:Shocking ! It shows the extent to which an illiterate or semi-literate , gullible person can be brain-washed so that he can even lay down his life for a fictional cause ! In this case, unlike cases of Tamil Tigers or the Kamicaze Japanese pilots during the Second World War the motivating force to propel the likes of Kasab into action was Islam. Persons like Kasab are conditioned into believing that by sacrificing their lives in the service of Allah they would be destined to paradise where life would be an eternal bliss. They can be only saved from falling into the clutches of terror gurus in madarsaas and seminaries by the Government scanning their curriculum and expurgating from it all that teaches hatred against other religions. There is no other way. [5 Jan, 2009 0443hrs IST] Jack,Samaspur, Punjab, India,says:I thought he already spent some time in the Taj Hotel in summer to study it for the grand plan. That was stated by him during his initial statements. Has he now changed his mind? How can anyone believe this? [5 Jan, 2009 0436hrs IST] P.M.G.Pillai,Mannar Allpauzha Kerala,says:Dear On Line Editor,Ajmal Amir qasb is not revealing all truth but only twisting things for example when he travelled by a boat the certainly he should have know that Kashmir is not asurrounded by any ocean.During eighteen months training hateindia Hate Hinduism must have beenn the most important subject to tune his mind towards saturating his mind on hated to India. Then his statement that Islam doesnot allow killing innocents if correct then he must have known that people standing at Chatrapathy Sivaki Rail way startion were just INNOCENTS waiting for arrival of thier trian to home. But what did he do open fire against all who were in raliwaystartion..Probabaly initially during traing he must have been told that this batch is being traned to free kashmir because the populationwas Islamic and for that killing any one is a route to HEVAN alaso must have been told.Ajmal Amirs mind is still with Islamic Jihadi and AntiIndian he will,not let all secrets of their set up inspite of all questioning. This is clearfrom his statemensts.He must be put up for trial for carrying out TERRORIST activities by trespassing into India, killing hundreds of innocent people and then the government must act according to the court judgement.If the India government still imagines that Pakistan will hand overor even put any one for trial under Pak law is justmoonshine,The Pak government is highly Partisan hence they can not put people on trial or takwe any other action.It is essential that the government ofIndia undersad this fact and keeping this in mind only negotiate or discuss with Pakistan  [5 Jan, 2009 0424hrs IST] tanyashaw,USA,says:Thats exactly what i had written in my earlier comments. India's aggression in Kashmir has come around to hit her. India should stop killing innocent people in kashmir and bring about a people friendly solution to the disputed territory and stop being arrrogant about Kashmir as being its integral part, which is not true at all. By hiding the realities from its own people and letting extremist elements cash on what is happening in Kashmir, India is exposing its people to more threat than before.  [5 Jan, 2009 0419hrs IST] HeWasRight1,India,says:Actually he was right....ultimatly it would lead to get indians kicked out of Kashmir....he was right, nothing brainwashed there!!! [5 Jan, 2009 0412hrs IST] Krushan Kumar,India,says:This man was firing his automatic killing people - men, women and children. He know what he was doing, he heard them cry in pain. He has been trained to talk to his interrogators. He knows he will get away like the indian airline hijacker. The least the indian police could do is to hang the pictures of his victims on his wall. He should see those picture day and night.  [5 Jan, 2009 0337hrs IST] David Cardozo,Mumbai,says:Stop making Mohammad Kasab, the lone surving captured terrorist humane. He is not a victim, he was a ruthless, violent Muslim who came to specially kill Hindus. Now its upto India's leadership to show some spine and take on Pakistan head on. Even if they have a nuclear bomb. What about our nuclear bomb. How many Indians should die, be maimed, property damaged and violent acts perpetuated by Pakistan trained terrorist before our spineless leadership takes some concrete action against Pakistan even if that means war. We need to destroy Pakistan once and for all and take their land without the people as compensation. This will be a just war, its been thrust upon us unfortunately. When India fights this war, India should not care for human right or innocent people getting killed. Human rights is preached to the week. Human right organisations lack credibility. Where are they when millions of African American youth are rotting in US jails, Native Americans in the US anihilated, in Saudi Arabia, China. Does life in India has any value to these human rights organisations. For once Indians should be ready to die and take casualties and go for war to teach Pakistan the ulitimate lesson and wipe it out. We spend billions on the armed forces for what? To protect whom? Its time to use them. [5 Jan, 2009 0318hrs IST] ajoy,patna,says:why the interrogators did not ask him to name and details of his neighbours, their children, his relatives and his covillagers and their children, his friends and their parents and make those names public? it would not have been possible for Pakistan to hide the whole village, from the international eyes. contrary to popular opinion, i would prefer that he lives so long in captivity that he repents his decisions and his actions. he should ask for death but should be kept alive in captivity. longer the life, greater are the chances for his humanization. [5 Jan, 2009 0227hrs IST] Hughes,USA,says:Just torture and kill this terrorist thug. He should be shown no remorse. It is a shame that journalists report of how his mother would pardon him. How about that little kid that he is said to have shot and killed at CST station? That kid will never see the world and never have a chance to grow to be an adult, nor realise his or her little dreams and desires. Thugs should be shown no mercy.  [5 Jan, 2009 0218hrs IST] RM,US,says:They should make a documentry of him and release it to world. It will be a lessons and eye opener to all those developing terrorists that no body goes to heaven etc and all this is bull shit. The documentry should be released in world to show that there is nothing achived by terrorism and people should work constructive rather than destructive [5 Jan, 2009 0154hrs IST] KEITH ,U.S.A.,says:The Indian Prime Minister and the Union Minister of law and justice should get America and the third world country to come together and get hold of Prime Minister of Pakistan and who ever is responsible to be bought to books.What we are hearing about Pakistan it looks as if there is no law there, America should get into Pakistan like Iraq and do what was done in Iraq,that is the only way out.  [5 Jan, 2009 1121hrs IST] suchitra,malysia,says:Kasab is lying to the maximum possible.He feels he can gain sympathy through all this.But what he should know now is that he can start counting number of days he is going to live(alla's Islam wish)that if he is taken to Pakistan his alla's wished people (militants )won't keep him alive and if he is in India he will be hanged anyways. So now what he should understnd is that he should tell the real truth .Not talk about Islam ,Jihadi's or gods child etc stuff.He should tell the truth about those militants who made him this and how can we get through them so that no more jihadis,mujahudins and militants kill innocent people IN THE NAME OF ISLAM. [5 Jan, 2009 1052hrs IST] Mr India,India,says:Kashmir is not under Indian occupation for it to be given up. Ask Pakistan to give it up. [5 Jan, 2009 1051hrs IST] rajath,kerala,says:I dont think any god will accept this persons action.I think he should get a punishment that should be a lesson for others. [5 Jan, 2009 1036hrs IST] khan,hyd,says:we should strike deep into POK and destroy these dreaded elements . [5 Jan, 2009 1027hrs IST] Khem Harin,Toronto ,says:God is love. Was Kasab expressing his love for these people by brutally murdering them? What about the 13 year old child who lost his entire family? Does he feel great love towards God because of Kasab actions. What kind of God would instruct his people to brutally murder his own creation?. No, it was not God motiving these killers but it was Satan.The enemy of the human race, the source of such hatred.  [5 Jan, 2009 1019hrs IST] Kaushik,Bangalore,says:Did he not also know that he was in Mission Kashmir to save a damsel in distress?? It sounds so funny. Once caught they act so naive and innocent as if one fine day they got up and someone asked them to go for a mission and they listened! Stop such Crap. Everyone knows that right from the childhood they are taught to think ill about India and Indians. And why is media so hell bent in highlighting his thoughts?  [5 Jan, 2009 1014hrs IST] riya,pune,says:How can any person be convinced by other and how can anybody do it by taking god's name?  [5 Jan, 2009 1002hrs IST] Raja Hindustani,USA,says:I don't understand why is TOI making Kasab a HERO. He is such a dreaded terrorist who killed innocent civilians and the super cop Tukaram Ombale. By making comments like this one "He was brainwashed for Mission Kashmir and all" is just INSULTING the dead Indians and the ones injured. I hope some day Indian media would start doing some duty towards the nation than just becoming an entertainment channel/web-site. [5 Jan, 2009 0957hrs IST] Asif,Delhi,says:Dear Editor, "You can tell a person who does not know, you can tell again to the person who fails to understand - But you cannot tell a person who knows but pretends as if he does not know." - Same is the story with Pakistan - they want proofs!! There are issue of so called 'Kashmir liberation' being discussed. Which liberation are we pointing to? - was not the way Kashmir inducted in Indian territory consistent with other regions. If I understand correctly - 'Kashmir liberation' may mean getting the POK and China occupied region FREE! I think this Bombay attack saga is our own problem and we need to deal with it ourself. Don't expect China, US or Britain to help in this!! I think enough time has been 'wasted' on diplomacy routes which hardly resulted any fruitful action. Enough has been obtained from this person. If Pakistan don't own him then send him to 'his version of allah'. No point wasting resources for these type of people. [5 Jan, 2009 0950hrs IST] Hans G.,Germany,says:Look at Israel - they feel the pinch and hit back precisely and deeply where it hurts the most to stop their own pain. I bow my head to this survival instinct. Now look at India - pacifists and fed on lies that BPOs and Software would make the lives of the billion people better and magically the infrastructure would become better as well. World power? Super power? Think again! What this pitiless terrorist does and does not do is not the point -- the point is, where is India's survival instinct? [5 Jan, 2009 0941hrs IST] Niraj Sharma,Sambalpur,says: This is ridiculous I don't Know why we Indians are so emotional and why media is also getting Emotional on this point in time. We all know what he has done. If this time again if we get emotional than no one can save us.  [5 Jan, 2009 0940hrs IST] Rad,Canada,says:Kashmir is just a pretex,its just a fake reason; it is not the TRUE CAUSE. The true causes are 1)illiteracy & poverty, 2)the dangerous Islamic fundamentals, 3)the anti-India sentiments in pak culture. If pakistan is so much in love with kashmir then why did it give away land (Aksichin) as gift to china? It could have hung on to that piece of land too. We have border dispute with China too, so why don't they start some kind of jihaad in order to regain Arunachal Pradesh. They do not do it because its not in there "religious & cultural" sense. On the other hand these young boys in Pakistan and India are made to believe in some religious book, and sent for jihaad on pretentions! Kashmir is just an ego-issue for pak and can be resolved through talks. Anybody who thinks that terrorism is because of Kashmir problem are fools. India never occupied Kashmir. It was and is a part of India since independance. [5 Jan, 2009 0935hrs IST] Masudali Shankar,Tianjin, China,says:Dear Sir, With regard to the recent news articles about the sole surviving terrorist, I wish to make two points. First, if Pakistani 4th standard dropouts were able to hold off the cream of the Indian anti terror forces for as long as this lot did, we ought to be glad that they were not people who could think on their feet, and adapt tactics as necessary. Second, the Government of Maharashtra has not announced the composition of the panel that will investigate the episode, nor has the new Chief Minister announced what precise goals he has regarding securing the city, and the timetable in which he commits to getting them done. As long as there is no distance between the politicians and security services on postings, promotions, etc., these incidents will reoccur.  [5 Jan, 2009 0921hrs IST] VN,India,says:Just hang this guy,he has worked for satan not god, why should we hear his stories now ? This guy has no remorse and has commited the most unforgivable of crimes. Extract as much information from him and just hang him. [5 Jan, 2009 0910hrs IST] avinash,Sydney,says:Pak Mujhids can only kill innocent people as soft targets. Where are they, now when innocent Palestenians are being slaughtered ? Mahatma Gandhi said that eye for an eye policy will result in all being blind ! How factual. [5 Jan, 2009 0906hrs IST] satyendra,delhi,says:I am surprise to see why so many importance is given to this one terrorist or incidence. I agree that we are living under threat of terror but that does not mean we become used to read only one news everyday. There has been so many attacks/blast in the past and even after this in Assam. We have not done much for any of those attacks. Number of people died or suffered in other attacks has been significant as well. We need to think a comprehensive solution and act rather than just warnings to Pakistan.  [5 Jan, 2009 0901hrs IST] Smriti,Pune,says:I believe that whatever said and done,he killed many innocent people by his act and hence he should be hanged.Even if his handlers brainwashed him,it should have given him no reason to still kill people be it in Kashmir or Mumbai.No point keeping a trial. [5 Jan, 2009 0837hrs IST] killpaki,karachirampur,says:Pakistan is a failed state. It is written off. Either U.S. or U.K. should take over and run the administration. Pakistan is incapable of administration. [5 Jan, 2009 0814hrs IST] Readers Opinions  Write to Editor Kasab thought he was on Mission Kashmir Manish,USA,says:CBI should read the blog as well . They will find so many traitors who actually directly or indirectly support massacre by telling it as an act of conspiracy. How about keeping watch on them.  [5 Jan, 2009 0726hrs IST] inidan,hongkong,says:Kasab had come to Mumbai and killed many innocent people and caught red handed why still govt is holding him, just hang him or shoot him. he was supposed to be killed in shooting.Time will come when Indian citizens will rally against govt for doing nothing. [5 Jan, 2009 0721hrs IST] Harsh,USA,says:Kasab says - "He did not do anything against Islam, which is against killing of innocents". I would like to know why those Indians who were gunned down by him in Mumbai were not innocent in the eyes of Islam? What is the crime of my India according to Pakistan or Islam which justifies this attack ? [5 Jan, 2009 0716hrs IST] Imran,Canada,says:I do not know why media is depicting this guy as a God of Terror. We daily listen something from Indian media about him. Probably he is more famous than Shah Rukh Khan in India, What more this guy may like? By the way i do not know when and how many times this guy go to washroom, I will be thankful to the media if get this information. Whereas the reality is that till now, any American agency has not given the statement that this guy is a Pakistani. [5 Jan, 2009 0551hrs IST] GM Malik,Michigan, USA,says:it is sad and tragic to see innocent people being killed by millitants or by the government army in kashmir. we all should look at the reality of what is "cause and Effect" of this tragedy. As suggested by Christan Science monitor newspaper a few days ago, India can not grow into and become a super economic power as long as it is going to hang to Kashmir. Even the British had to eventually give up thier occupation of India - it is matter of time and the price of occupation - India needs to learn from the history.  [5 Jan, 2009 0547hrs IST] jigar,australia,says:truely well said article... people now a days wants these kinds of articles to read and follow almost daily basis... thanks sri sri ravi shankar for giving us such good thoughts [5 Jan, 2009 0546hrs IST] drbmsharma,gwalior,says:Such news items are of significance. It is possible to hypnotise a man if he is illiterate. This is a lesson for all the parents of the world: be it a girl or boy: first requirement is that they have education which teaches them respect for secular and democratic values including respect for all religions. Mr. Kasab is a material evidence not only for sociologists but also a source of regrets for all so called fanatic teachers of all religions. [5 Jan, 2009 0545hrs IST] semi,France,says:The Indian Govt.produce him on TV where he will be seen by the world . Then If PAK still denies his confessions despite all the evidence ( FBI ETC ) then India should carry out precise punitive strikes against all Terror cells in POK and Bangladesh. PAY BACK TIME. PAK is black mailing India ..Time to put stop to eyepass [5 Jan, 2009 0545hrs IST] Zia-Ul-Huq,India,says:Zionists and sangh parivar were responsible for this attack, when will hindus understand that all this is zionist conspiracy with the help of sangh parivar? [5 Jan, 2009 0504hrs IST] Prof. P.R. Murti,Trinidad, West indies,says:Kasab says "he will never pick up a gun again". He will not as the hangman's noose is reserved for him. [5 Jan, 2009 0446hrs IST] Dr.K,USA,says:This is the root of the problem - "Kasab was indoctrinated into the hate-India campaign by making him believe that he would go to heaven (jannat) for his actions." Somehow, India must convey to the pakistani madrassas that once slain, their disciples bodies will be buried or cremated along with dead pigs in India. Thus, they will never enter their heaven. Also, Indians should raise pig farms along the Indo-paki border at a large scale to reduce these heaven-loving medieval barbarians from entering India. [5 Jan, 2009 0152hrs IST] Arup,Stockholm,says:It seems the preachers of true Islam are not doing much to eradicate this wrong believe which terrorist are using to brainwash the innocent people to take up weapons. or is it the true face of Islam? [5 Jan, 2009 0146hrs IST] dont know,Dallas, TX,says:Kasab, where in Qur'an its written to kill people? [5 Jan, 2009 0138hrs IST] Umesh,USA,says:India should invite Kasab's parents to come and see him. This will be great humanitarian gesture and will go a long way in calling Pakistani lie. [5 Jan, 2009 0125hrs IST] Rohit,USA,says:stop this hero worship of this terrorist. We should not give him celebrity status.  [5 Jan, 2009 0103hrs IST] UMESH,USA,says:ANOTHER NEWS STORY TO CONFUSE THEM SELF.  [5 Jan, 2009 0048hrs IST]

Why India Can't 'Do A Gaza' On Pakistan...?

Five Reasons Why India Can't 'Do A Gaza' On Pakistan

Tunku Varadarajan, 01.05.09, 12:00 AM EST

Israel has far fewer restrictions.

Over the last week, many Americans (and Indians) have asked me why India does not "do a Gaza" on Pakistan, referring, of course, to an emulation of Israel's punitive use of force against Hamas-run Palestine, a territory from which rockets rain down on Israeli soil with reliable frequency (if not reliable destructiveness ... but that is not for want of Hamas intent).

My answer, given with the heavy heart that comes always with a painful grip on reality, is simple: India does not because it cannot.

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Here are five reasons why:

1. India is not a military goliath in relation to Pakistan in the way Israel is to the Palestinian territories. India does not have the immunity, the confidence and the military free hand that result from an overwhelming military superiority over an opponent. Israel's foe is a non-sovereign entity that enjoys the most precarious form of self-governance. Pakistan, for all its dysfunction, is a proper country with a proper army, superior by far to the tin-pot Arab forces that Israel has had to combat over time. Pakistan has nukes, to boot. Any assault on Pakistani territory carries with it an apocalyptic risk for India. This is, in fact, Pakistan's trump card. (This explains, also, why Israel is determined to prevent the acquisition of nuclear weapons by Iran.)

2. Even if India could attack Pakistan without fear of nuclear retaliation, the rationale for "doing a Gaza" is, arguably, not fully present: Israel had been attacked consistently by the very force--Hamas--that was in political control of the territory from which the attacks occurred. By contrast, terrorist attacks on India, while originating in Pakistan, are not authored by the Pakistani government. India can-- and does--contend that Pakistan's government should shut down the terrorist training camps on Pakistani soil. (In this insistence, India has unequivocal support from Washington.) Yet only a consistent and demonstrable pattern of dereliction by Pakistani authorities-- which would need to be dereliction verging on complicity with the terrorists--would furnish India with sufficient grounds to hold the Pakistani state culpable.

3. As our columnist, Karlyn Bowman, writes Israel enjoys impressive support from the American people, in contrast to the Palestinians. No other state--apart, perhaps, from Britain--evokes as much favor in American public opinion as does Israel. This is not merely the result of the much-vaunted "Israel lobby" (to use a label deployed by its detractors), but also because of the very real depth of cultural interpenetration between American and Israeli society. This fraternal feeling buys Israel an enviable immunity in the conduct of its strategic defense. India, by contrast--while considerably more admired and favored in American public opinion than Pakistan--enjoys scarcely a fraction of Israel's "pull" in Washington when it comes to questions of the use of force beyond its borders.

4. Pakistan is strategically significant to the United States; the Palestinians are not. This gives Washington scant incentive to rein in the Israelis, but a major incentive to rein in any Indian impulse to strike at Pakistan. However justified the Indian anger against Pakistan over the recent invasion of Mumbai by Pakistani terrorists, the last thing that the U.S. wants right now is an attack--no matter how surgical--by India against Pakistan-based terror camps. This would almost certainly result in a wholesale shift of Pakistani troops away from their western, Afghan front toward the eastern boundary with India--and would leave the American Afghan campaign in some considerable disarray, at least in the short term. So Washington has asked for, and received, the gift of Indian patience. And although India recognizes that it is not wholly without options to mobilize quickly for punitive, surgical strikes in a "strategic space," it would--right now--settle for a trial of the accused terrorist leaders in U.S. courts. (Seven U.S. citizens were killed in Mumbai: Under U.S. law, those responsible--and this should include Pakistani intelligence masterminds--have to be brought to justice.)

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5. My last, and meta-, point: Israel has the privilege of an international pariah to ignore international public opinion in its use of force against the Palestinians. A state with which few others have diplomatic relations can turn the tables on those that would anathematize it by saying, Hang diplomacy. India, by contrast, has no such luxury. It is a prisoner of its own global aspirations--and pretensions.

Tunku Varadarajan, a professor at the Stern Business School at NYU and research fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution, is opinions editor at Forbes.com, where he writes a weekly column.

My comments....There is only one reason....Indian leaders are the the biggest IMPOTENTS on this earth.

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To Fix Islam, Start From the Inside

The best way to fight radicalism is to empower Muslim women worldwide.

America's 44th President will not need any 3 a.m. phone calls to keep him awake. Figuring out how to restore the United States' moral authority in the Islamic world —while encouraging Muslims to reform themselves—would stop anyone from sleeping soundly.

The solution will require more than success in Iraq or the Palestinian territories. After all, most Muslims live outside the Middle East, and Washington must learn to acknowledge their worth. Doing so demands a foreign-policy rethink. Instead of being driven strictly by counterterrorism, the United States' approach to Muslims should be complemented by a universal human-rights thrust—a cooperative strategy that recognizes ordinary Muslims, especially women, to be immediate targets of jihadism, as well as indispensable partners in the fight against it.

Such a foreign policy would not only improve the United States' global image, it would also allow Americans to form smart alliances and make even smarter use of tools like microcredit. And it would intensify the U.S. pursuit of rights-abusing thugs—those who bomb, behead, bury alive or beat up civilians. Not coincidentally, these are often the same criminals who threaten U.S. security. A textbook example is the Iranian government, which makes everyday Muslims its first victims. Last year the regime arrested Zohreh and Azar Kabiri, 20-something mothers, on charges of adultery. The sisters got 99 lashes each before being sentenced to be draped in white sheets, lowered into dirt pits and stoned to death with fist-size rocks.

Islamic law can be brutal; no amount of cultural theorizing erases this fact. But as a faithful, feminist Muslim, I know that seventh-century cruelty is not inevitable in the 21st century. Human interpretations of divinely inspired words are exactly that—human, fallible and subject to reversal. In October, during the United Nations' annual debate about children's rights, Iran announced its intention to reduce juvenile executions. Campaigns in more than 80 countries and local activists prodded Tehran to that point. The next step is follow-through, and savvy pressure by the United States and other nations can help. The trick for Washington is to listen and learn: listen to dissidents who seek support, respect those who do not and learn from those with a track record of triumph.

Let the record show that human dignity can win. Ahmad Batebi is an Iranian democracy advocate who has faced certain execution more than once over the past decade. A 1999 photo of him—captured in the midst of a bloody protest—circulated worldwide on the cover of a Western magazine. The fallout apparently induced cold feet at the gallows. Batebi's execution was postponed long enough for him to flee to the United States, where he now lives. Western attention also advanced the recent case of a Saudi woman who was gang-raped, then threatened with jail for "dishonoring" her community. Late last year a media uproar amplified by U.S. broadcasters compelled King Abdullah to take the extraordinary step of pardoning her.

Given these nonviolent victories, why do citizens and governments of the West often bristle at the notion of getting involved? Put bluntly, too many freeze in fear of being deemed racists for taking up "other" people's business. But as the economy has rudely reminded us, ours is an interdependent age in which the "other" is a mirage. Muslims inhabit the same world as non-Muslims. No wonder a rising number of Islamic scholars—such as Prof. Bassam Tibi of Germany and Abhdullahi Ahmed An-Naim, a Sudanese-American and renowned expert in Sharia—argue that everyone should enjoy the same freedoms of thought, conscience and expression.

This is not to counsel more military invasions to rescue Muslims from each other. Exactly the opposite: Washington's fixation on counterterrorism reduces Muslims to the status of perceived anti-American conspirators, creating enemies out of those who ought to be Lady Liberty's fiercest allies. Foremost among them are Muslim women, who have the most to gain from reform withinIslam. Ultimately, it is women who will help Muslims help themselves. The new U.S. president can benefit the Islamic world by engaging the entrepreneurial talents of Muslim women.

nter a tiny miracle known as microcredit.

In this season of financial turmoil, it takes chutzpah, I confess, to propose more lending as the answer to anything. But extending minuscule loans to Muslim villagers has demonstrated its worth time and again, inspiring near-perfect repayment rates that shame today's industrial banks. Better yet, microcredit has the backing of Islam. Khadija, beloved first wife of the Prophet Muhammad, was a self-made merchant who employed her husband for many years. If Muslim men are serious about emulating the life of Islam's messenger, they should have no qualms about letting their wives work for themselves. Moreover, according to traditional Islamic teachings, when a woman earns assets, she may spend 100 percent of them as she sees fit. Through microloans, Muslim women can launch community businesses that build profits and, ultimately, change cultures.

I know of a woman in Afghanistan who accepted a $200 microloan, started a candle-making venture, and used some of the returns to pay for reading lessons. She found female-friendly verses in the Qur'an and recited them to her still-illiterate husband. When he realized that these words came from God's book rather than a secular declaration of human rights, he immediately stopped beating her. Not exactly paradise, but no longer the pit of hell.

Microloans would also equip Muslim women to establish their own schools. That, too, is happening in parts of Kabul, where handwritten signs proclaim, "Educate a boy and you educate only that boy. But educate a girl and you educate her entire family." A sign aimed at the U.S. president might read: "Remember the multiplier effect of investing in Muslim women."

To be sure, Washington cannot neglect the Arab states—nor would it by embracing this approach. If anything, the baby boom in today's Middle East illuminates the urgency of microloans for Muslim women there. About 60 percent of Arabs are now under 20 years old (compared with 29 percent of Americans). In one decade (or just over two U.S. presidential terms), Arab Muslim numbers are projected to increase to 430 million. Plenty of young Arabs have college degrees, yet no prospects for work. The idle often gravitate to radical organizations. Deny this growing generation an opportunity to participate economically, and the chaos could convulse our planet.

Here again, microcredit offers a way forward: Muslim businesswomen can save not only their families and neighborhoods but also people and places beyond. Entrepreneurial mothers create spaces of commerce—and imagination—for their children. The ensuing sense of possibility will stem the globalization of grievance. That is why microcredit for Muslim women would fit seamlessly into a foreign policy that balances counterterrorism with human rights.

In adopting this policy, the new president should ally with other countries, each of which would shave a sliver of its annual security budget and pool the proceeds into a coherent microloan program. Bye-bye to the Coalition of the Willing. Hello, salaam, and possibly shalom to the Alliance of the Interdependent.

Western nations ought to join the alliance, but Muslim countries, particularly the royally rich Gulf states, must also pull their weight. The next U.S. president can whisper into the ears of emirs his respect for the Qu'ran's message of personal responsibility. Islam's scripture tells Muslims that "God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves." Translation for Muslim leaders: put your money where your moderation is.

In the same spirit, the president should push for a Muslim country to spearhead this alliance. Turkey—a trusted U.S. ally, a veteran NATO member and a functioning democracy—seems a natural candidate, but its ardent desire to become part of the European Union incites suspicion in the rest of the Islamic world. I thus nominate Indonesia, the biggest Muslim country on earth. Its 17,000 islands bustle with as many believers as the entire Middle East. Unlike most of the Middle East, however, Indonesia is an electoral democracy with a secular Constitution that celebrates "unity in diversity." It is a nation forged from 300 ethnicities, scores of languages and a history of tolerance among Muslims, Christians, Hindus and animists. Indonesia faces its own extremist threat. But if the United States welcomed Indonesia's stewardship on behalf of all Muslims, especially before next year's national elections there, the gesture could go far to ensuring that pluralistic Islam carries the day.

Even with Indonesia at the helm, some will smear the Alliance of the Interdependent as a handmaiden of U.S. imperialism; such a rhetorical cudgel is just too convenient to be abandoned. But the new cooperator in chief can draw strength—and inspiration—from language Martin Luther King Jr. once used when accused by eight Alabama clergymen of being an "outsider." As the civil-rights icon replied, "We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial 'outside agitator' idea."

So it must be in our day, when citizenship is that much more global. Islamist radicals do not give a fig for moderate Muslims—whom they term the "near enemy"—or for Westerners, the "far enemy." We wear the same garment. All the more reason to treat universal human rights as a link between our mutual security interests: the bridge that will return America not just to dry land, but to higher ground.

Manji, creator of the PBS documentary “Faith Without Fear,” is a scholar with the European Foundation for Democracy and the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University.