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Musharraf: Redefine jihad, mosques, Islam

NEW DELHI, April 11 (UPI) -- Pakistani President Gen Pervez Musharraf has said the jihad concept is being confused with militancy and terrorism.

"Jehand-e-Akbar was against illiteracy, backwardness, hunger and disease. But some people preached militancy as a form of jihad, which reinforced the misperceptions about Islam," Musharraf said.

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He said the way forward for the 1.5 billion Muslims was to achieve industrialization and move forward on the path of socioeconomic development by rejecting extremism and terrorism.

Musharraf said the Organization of the Islamic Conference had to be strengthened for the collective well-being of the Muslim community through reforms and restructuring being undertaken by the organization.

The Hindu newspaper said Wednesday Musharraf urged the west to help resolve longstanding political disputes, including Palestine and Kashmir, in a just manner and address the situations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He asked the industrialized countries to assist the less-developed nations.

"Extremism is detrimental to progress and development," Musharraf said, reiterating his resolve to fight terrorism with forces and counter-extremism with a holistic strategy.

"Sectarian organizations that were fanning hatred would not be allowed to operate and publication and distribution of hate material would be stopped," he said.

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Musharraf also said he would ensure that mosques were not used for provocation and hatred. Rather, mosques would be again converted into centers of knowledge and excellence, as they were five hundred years ago, when Muslims excelled in science and technology, culture, economy and trade.

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