Dear Editor,

The aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Center in America should make us all wiser. The first lesson is that terrorism has no barrier - no people, no culture, no country, no nothing - is spared the agony of terrorism. It is known that when the Taliban are not fighting 'western imperialism,' they are fighting other Afghans. In the WTC attack itself, many Muslims have been killed and many more will be subjected to various forms of persecution. Generally, the attack is seen as the work of Muslim extremists and fundamentalists. Yet, they had no care and sympathy for what harm and losses it would mean for their own Muslims.

The support given by the Pakistani and other Muslim governments, together with many nations that have been anti-American, is an indication of the general feeling of all governments globally - terrorism, extremism and fundamentalism is a danger not only to enemies but friends alike. Therefore, it must be fought on a scale of unity.

Let there be no denial though, extremism and fundamentalism affect all religious groups and are on the rise. So today, it will be Muslim extremists involved in acts against normal human civilized behaviour, tomorrow it will be another extremist group, all done in the promotion of the cause or of religion.

There has been seen also, major lapses in US intelligence, so much so, that it is as if they have harboured the extremists, have turned a blind-eye, have refused to acknowledge that it can happen to them on such large scale. These lapses as we have seen, have cost them greatly. All countries must take lessons from this.

Many governments have expressed support and sympathy to the American people and government, without examining their own situation. As I have said, extremism is now not restricted to the Middle East, Asia or Britain but is spreading rapidly. In many countries of the world, too many for comfort, there are pockets of extremists and their numbers are growing.