US special envoy Farah Pandith’s meetings with Muslims in Delhi and Mumbai, could not be rated more than a propaganda exercise by Obama to pacify Muslims, who are deeply agitated and distressed over US invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan and the continued shedding of blood of innocent civilians. As per reports, by her own account, she is not authorised to even discuss the most important issues that are agitating the Muslims all over the world: Israel-Palestinian peace and withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan. She referred one issue to George Mitchell and the other to Richard Holbrooke. So what is there for her to explain to her selected audience in American Centres? In fact, it would appear that she is an innocent victim of abuse by the Obama and Clinton administration as she has not been entrusted with any policy decision making and merely asked to perform a parrot like role to advance America’s false propaganda about a new thinking towards the Muslim world. Mere words don’t count. The Muslim world expects action on both issues that is the main cause of alienation of Muslims from US administration’s armed actions that kill innocent Muslims and destroy Muslim lands. That action is not forthcoming – neither in short-term nor in long-term US planning!
Ghulam Muhammed
Mumbai, Maharashtra