ELIAMEP: Would you say that the Pakistani community in Athens is blossoming in its own social space?

H.E. Mr. Kazmi: Pakistani migrants came to Greece in the 1970s. They have been staying here and doing well. The majority of them are working in the construction industry, in farms and in the service sectors. Many of our people have set up their own small businesses.

ELIAMEP: Do we encounter in Greece, according to your perspective, Muslim social exclusion?

H.E. Mr. Kazmi: Many Pakistanis are not well integrated, although Greece is a vibrant, pluralistic country with a rich culture, civilization and ancient history where hospitality is legendary. People have been coming to Greece and Greeks have been kind to them. But since the majority of people are not allowed to bring their families, their wives, most people are alone and keep visiting their families in Pakistan. The Greek visa policy doesn’t enhance opportunities for families to be reunified. You can imagine the type of social, economic and emotional problems that may arise because these people are away from their families. Regarding Muslim social exclusion there is no official policy. In any case, we respect Greece and the Greek laws. Greece is a bastion, the mother of democracy and believes in freedom, liberties and individual initiatives. I certainly don’t think that the people of Pakistan are suffering from any religious discrimination or anything like that, not at all.

ELIAMEP: Are socio-economic realities, such as the current weak economic growth and unemployment, pushing Pakistani migrants in Greece towards radicalization (religious, enhanced tendency towards crime…) as is claimed by the right-wing press?

H.E. Mr. Kazmi: Greek public authorities recognize that the people of Pakistan are essentially economic migrants. Furthermore, they are very peaceful people, they are just trying to earn a livelihood for themselves and their families back home. Members of the Pakistani community aren’t in any way involved in criminal activities (organized crime, syndicate crime or other related activities). We all share this common view, the Pakistani community, the Greek Government and all ministries concerned.

ELIAMEP: The Greek Government voted as a law the creation of an official mosque in Elaionas in 2006- would you interpret such measures as a watershed towards intercultural dialogue between the Greek authorities and the Muslim community living in Greece?

H.E. Mr. Kazmi: I think that this kind of dialogue is already in progress.  In 2006, the Greek Government had kindly agreed to help in building a mosque. In principle, I recall that there is no problem from the Greek side.  Since the Government of Greece and Greek people believe in religious freedom and freedom of worship, it is only a question of time. We believe that one day the construction of a mosque will become a reality. A large Muslim community lives in Greece, not only from Pakistan, but also from other parts of the world, including the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia.  Greeks are well known for their warmth, hospitality and tolerance. They will ultimately help us to set up a mosque in Athens and elsewhere in the country.

ELIAMEP: What would be, according to your personal opinion, the most appropriate steps the Greek Government should undertake so as to promote intercultural understanding and exchange?

H.E. Mr. Kazmi:  I believe that a lot of work has been done by the international community to promote interfaith dialogue. Pakistan fully supports the dialogue among cultures and civilizations. During the last two years, Pakistan has co-sponsored a resolution at the UNGA in order to promote the inter-civilization dialogue based on mutual respect and understanding. This resolution can be an effective vehicle to increase understanding among varied cultures and values. This is the way we can make progress, since all faiths, Islam, Christianity as well as the other world religions, believe in peace, understanding, brotherhood, tolerance and co-existence. Islam does not promote a culture of violence against any other religion. Islam is a religion of peace, understanding and harmony. We all are children of Abraham. We believe that there is no reason we should degenerate into hatred, killing or murder.

ELIAMEP: Regarding the current fragile context of the border region with Afghanistan, would you see a link between the fight against the Taliban declared by your Government and the growing number of Pakistani refugees fleeing the so called SWAT valley of Pakistan? Is “humanitarian disaster” the appropriate term to describe the situation in this region of Pakistan?

H.E. Mr. Kazmi: I entirely agree with the formulation of your question. It is a huge humanitarian tragedy. More than 3 million people have been dislocated internally within Pakistan because of this campaign which is going on against militants and extremists. We did our best to negotiate and have a dialogue with them.  They are misguided people; they were trying to promote a culture of hatred, bigotry, and intolerance. These people have no place in Islam since they don’t represent the true message of Islam. The true message of Islam is what moderate Muslims all over the world believe in, e.g. peace, harmony and togetherness. They represent a negative mindset; it is a very small minority of people who is trying to hijack the true message of Islam.

As the situation worsened, the Government of Pakistan had no choice but to launch a law enforcement action. I am pleased to tell you that we have defeated these misguided people. They are on the run. We defeated the forces of militancy and terrorism that are inspired by a weird, negative mindset. It is almost a war which is going on in the Northwestern regions of Pakistan. The Government with the support of people and armed forces of Pakistan will defeat them. They have no place in a civilized society of Pakistan. The majority of people living in Pakistan are moderate, believing in peace, harmony and tolerance. Since these people have refused to accept the writ of the state and continue to challenge the state of Pakistan, the Government is taking action against them. Action is still going on. We are confident that we will defeat them, making Pakistan a homeland of peace, progress and prosperity.