Don't promote criminal despots, Stevenson University urged

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A Washington-DC based organization has deplored the Stevenson University invitation to Pakistan's former military despot General Pervez Musharraf and promised a protest against his presence at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore at the end of the month.

In an open letter to Kevin J. Manning, Ph.D, president of the Stevenson University in Maryland, the premier American Friends of Baluchistan said no American University should be encouraging dictators and despots from the developing world.

The A.F.B. called Musharraf a killer of the Baluch people.

Copies of the letter were also sent out to U.S. senators from Maryland, Barbara Mikulski and Benjamin Cardin, House Majority leader Rep. Steny Hoyer, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley and the American Civil Liberties Union, Baltimore.

Sponsors of the event Baltimore Sun, public radio WYPR, Greater Baltimore Committee and St. John Properties were also informed about the September 29 protest that is likely to be joined by pro-democracy students of the Stevenson and other universities in the Baltimore area.

The A.F.B. letter to Mr. Manning reads:

"We are disgusted the Stevenson University, an institution of learning in the Free State of Maryland, has invited former Pakistani dictator and coup leader-turned-president General Pervez Musharraf on September 29, 2009 as part of the 2009-2010 Baltimore Speaker Series at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.

“Having played a significant role in the War on Terror, Musharraf explains his struggle for the security of Pakistan in his memoir, In the Line of Fire,” an announcement on your university's web site reads.

Nothing can be further from the truth.

General Musharraf, like any military dictator was third-rate and inhuman, and had played double games by virtue of his policy of “hunting with the hound and running with the hare” vis-a-vis the U.S. and Al Qaeda. He secretly supported the Taliban and Al Qaeda, while posing as a friend of the U.S. and getting billions in U.S. taxpayer dollars for his jihadist soldiers.

Many Pakistanis genuinely suspect General Musharraf was also involved in the killing of twice-premier Benazir Bhutto. He left office in total disgrace as an impeachment procedure was set in motion in the Pakistani parliament.

General Musharraf, who was not even born in Pakistan, was responsible for subverting his country's constitution – punishable by death -- and killing thousands of Baluch sons of the soil, including Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, former chief minister and governor of Baluchistan, and Nawabzada Bala'ach Marri, member of the Baluchistan state assembly.

General Musharraf had removed one of the best known chief justices in Pakistan's history, Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, and officially protected the rapist of Dr. Shazia Khalid, who was raped January 2, 2005 by Pakistan army Captain Hammad.

In an interview with the Washington Post, the tin-pot dictator accused women in Pakistan of getting raped just to immigrate to the West:

“You must understand the environment in Pakistan. This has become a money-making concern....A lot of people say if you want to go abroad and get a visa for Canada or citizenship and be a millionaire, get yourself raped.”

Stevenson University, I believe stands for promoting enlightenment and better understanding of world affairs, but we are anguished how a prestigious sounding university in the Free State of Maryland can stoop so low to invite a coup leader to one of its main events. This is disgustful, extremely shameful, unacceptable and must be condemned by all sane American academics.

Even prior to the 9/11 attacks, which we believe was orchestrated by Pakistani army generals as the Taliban are nothing but show-boys of the Pakistan military GHQ in Rawalpindi, General Musharraf was an architect of the infamous Kargil misadventure that brought Pakistan and India to the brink of a nuclear war in 1999.

The Stevenson University's invitation to General Musharraf – Pakistan's fourth military dictator -- means supporting dictators and killers of innocent people and promoting defenders of rapists.

You must be knowing that Pakistan army has misruled over the failed state of Pakistan in South Asia for more than half of its independence existence since the British left India.

I take this opportunity to inform you even the oceans would dry if used as ink to narrate the crimes of the Pakistan army in my native Occupied Baluchistan. The army's atrocities include extra judicial killing of tens of thousands of Baluch patriots, state terrorism, systematic genocide, disappearances of political activists, torture and rape.

Pakistan army also conducted the most despicable nuclear tests in Baluchistan, against the wishes of the Baluch people.

I appeal to the Stevenson University to immediately rescind the invitation extended to General Musharraf, who had publicly congratulated his soldiers – “well done boys” -- for killing Nawab Bugti, 79.

Baluchistan was forcibly annexed by Pakistan on March 27, 1948 against the explicit wishes of the Baluch people and the fifth war of liberation that has left thousands dead is under way in the blood-marred territory as we write these lines to you.

We hope in view of the well-documented crimes of General Musharraf, including his war crimes in Baluchistan, the board of the Stevenson University and the sponsors of the event, will immediately take back the invitation to the dictator.

With the support of democracy-loving Americans, we plan to  protest in front of the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall on September 29, 2009 to draw the attention of the U.S. civil society to this gruesome event.

It is our firm belief no criminal despot from the developing world should ever be honored or encouraged by a U.S. institute of learning.

An American university must uphold the principles of democracy and human rights, at all costs."

For more info, contact 301-957-0008