Sada-e-Watan Sydney ™
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Imran Khan speaking at Brisbane Eid Festival
Imran Khan Speaks at Brisbane Eid Festival & Visits Rooty Hill Mosque Sydney
This year record
numbers of Muslim & non Muslim people attended Eid Festival at Mt. Gravatt
Showgrounds Brisbane. International Cricket Superstar Imran Khan was the special
guest. Ms Yasmin Khan and other organizers welcomed Imran Khan. Imran Khan
visited a few stalls and exchanged Eid greetings. During the afternoon of 11th
Oct 2008, Imran Khan spoke to the audience. In his speech, Imran Khan attacked
Western leaders for linking Islam and terrorism to create hatred - and Muslim
leaders for allowing them to do so. The Pakistani cricketer-turned-political
leader made an impassioned plea for Queensland's Muslim community to spread the
true message of their religion to the broader society.
Imran Khan said: "After 9/11, suddenly Islam and terrorism have become
synonymous. It's partly the fault of Muslim leadership and partly it's the fault
of a well-planned conspiracy through which a new imperialist agenda has been
pushed under the smokescreen of fighting Islamic terrorism''. Everyone must
understand terrorism is never caused by religion. The roots of all terrorism lie
in politics and so do the solutions.
"When (US President) George Bush and (former British prime minister) Tony Blair
talk about radical Islam . . . the man in the street in the West is suspicious
of all Muslims''. He said the US was "manufacturing terrorists" through its
continuing military action in Pakistan's border regions with Afghanistan, where
they believe al-Qaida forces are in hiding.
"What the American forces are doing is . . . they don't have enough troops on
the ground. They rely on aerial bombing. They kill civilians and all they are
doing is sending more and more people to the other side to oppose them''. All
their actions are radicalising communities. I don't think (US President) George
Bush has heard of the phrase 'when you are in a hole, stop digging.''
Imran Khan, who heads the Movement For Justice Party, said a nightmare was
unfolding in the tribal areas on the border with Afghanistan, and American
forces were going to be stuck in a quagmire that "will make Iraq look like
child's play.'' There were 65 suicide attacks in Pakistan last year, he said.
"Before 9/11 we never had one".
Imran Khan arrived at Sydney International Airport from the Gold Coast in the
afternoon of Sunday 12th October. He then travelled to Rooty Hill Mosque where
he also visited King Abdul Aziz College at Rooty Hill Sydney and then to the
Multicultural Eid Festival & Fair in Fairfield Sydney.
