By Angela Marshall
While she waits and works toward that day, Bhutto shares her story everywhere she can.
Last week, Bhutto was the keynote speaker at Molloy College's second annual Joseph F. Maher Leadership Forum, created to foster objective discourse on relevant topics affecting society.
In the seven months since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Pakistan and its neighbors in the Middle East have become integral players in the United State's War on Terror. Leadership in these countries could mean the difference in deadly battles with terror groups like Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
Bhutto, a democratic ruler ousted from power in 1996, shared her knowledge of the area, the peoples involved and what she believes were some of America's past mistakes when dealing with the region.
She began by praising American society saying, it is a model of what can be of modernity, diversity and democracy.
But it is devotion to these ideals that makes the United States and its people a target for terrorists, according to Bhutto. Millions of men and women come to America for freedom, opportunity, equality and pluralism, she said. For that reason, America is the worst nightmare to the extremists and fanatics that thrive on misery, intolerance, ignorance and pain.
Bhutto held office from 1988 to 1990 and 1993 to 1996 and was unconstitutionally removed both times.
She said before she took office, Pakistan was a breeding ground for extremists. Hiding behind the cloak of religion, they preached a message that enslaves, not liberates; teaches children to hate, leaves people hopeless, desperate, bitter and paranoid.
The former prime minister recounted the many actions her government took to undermine terrorism, including closing sham schools.
But Bhutto's efforts were not enough and a non-democratic government took control. Over the last few years, she said she has watched as her efforts have been undermined, but vowed that terrorism would not win.
During her speech, Bhutto said the lessons of history must be remembered.
I remember the world walked away from Afghanistan once before after the defeat of the Soviets in 1989. That political miscalculation sowed the seed of the tragedy of the Taliban and the Al-Qaeda and, most regrettably, of the events of Sept. 11.
Bhutto said she warned the U.S. government that leaving Afghanistan the way it is would empower and embolden terrorists. She believes that building a moderate, stable and democratic government in Afghanistan then would have prevented the growth of the Taliban.
Just as democracies do not make war, democracies also do not sponsor international terrorists, she said.
Molloy President Drew Bogner praised Bhutto after the lecture, thanking her for her passionate and inspirational words.
