August 24, 2005
Pakistan’s president Pervez Musharraf is to meet with American Jewish leaders in New York in September. Musharraf’s decision to address a group of American Jewish leaders at a New York meeting, shortly after the UN general assembly meeting is seen a bold move. “Someone needs to break the ice so that Muslims, Westerners, Jews and other religions can have a dialogue and end the confrontation that we’re in,” said Jack Rosen, chairman of the American Jewish Congress, whose Council for World Jewry is sponsoring the Musharraf dinner. “If he’s willing to take that risk and do it, then we are willing to give a home to that platform.” In May, Rosen and others met Musharraf in Islamabad. Discussions focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, normalization of relations with Israel, Muslim extremism, terrorism and Musharraf’s theory of “enlightened moderation.”
