Pakistani Americans have strongly condemned terrorist attacks in Brussels, expressing sympathy with the people of Belgium over the loss of lives.
The coordinated attacks in Brussels, which serves as the European Union and NATO Headquarters, claimed more than 30 lives and injured 300 more, and came days after the capture of Salah Abdesalam, the Paris attack suspect. The ISIS militant organization, which controls large swathes of territories in Syria and Iraq, and has attracted several Westerners, claimed responsibility for the attacks.
In the United States, attacks in the heart of Belgium made their way into the U.S. presidential election campaign, with both Republican and Democrats reacting to the killings.
“We condemn terrorism and offer condolence over the loss of lives, and while we celebrate Pakistan Day in Washington, New York and other cities, let us also remember Brussels victims in our prayers,” Manny Alam, President of the Pakistan American Congress said.
Alam, and other community leaders also noted that the international community should make joint efforts to remove underlying causes that breed extremism and militant violence.
Pakistani American leaders says they have been extremely concerned whenever a terrorist attacks takes place anywhere because Pakistan has lost around 50,000 citizens to militant attacks while the United States has also sacrificed with treasure and blood to defeat the menace of terror.
“Those who kill innocent people have nothing to do with Islam. Our hearts go out to the victims of this heinous crime against humanity,” Muhammad Nasimuddin, head of the Views News International Company, said in a statement.
He noted terrorism cannot be justified by any reason and if anyone has grievances, they should hold a dialogue, and the world capitals should also do their best to resolve factors that serve as fodder for militant narrative.
Dr. Shahid Rashid, a former official of Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America, said the behavior of perpetrators of Brussels attacks is of an ugliness that defies all forms of logic, reason, empathy, compassion, and love.
“Let it be infinitely clear: The losers who carry out such attacks are not bound by any genuine form of religion. Nor does any ethnicity or country unite them. Those who attribute their actions to Islam have no understanding of what Islam is all about,” he said in statement posted on his Facebook page.
Dr Rashid noted that terrorists are cowards who strike out indiscriminately, letting blood flow in the streets of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, France, the UK, the USA, and other places.
Meanwhile, some Republican candidates like Ted Cruz and Donald Trump have proposed controversial measures like surveillance plans for the Muslim Americans, provoking a series of discussions. The Obama Administration, top Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and many analysts have rejected such proposals, saying Muslim Americans are an integrated community with economic and political empowerment, while that is not the case with migrant communities in several European countries.
