In Urdu, Pakistan is supposed to mean "Land of the Pure" but this latest tragedy shows just how far the former British Colony has strayed from the dreams of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Instead of a place where the Muslim contingent of of Punjabi, Afghani, Kashmiri, Indian and Sind peoples can live in peace, Pakistan has become a breeding ground of hate. The Assassination of Benazir Bhutto, whose father and brothers were killed in the past, has shown just how self-destructive the Islamic world has become.

Don't doubt for a second that Musharraf had anything to do with this - it is a tailor-made excuse to return to emergency rule. In the short time that the General cum President had returned the country to normal rule, Benazir Bhutto was living on borrowed time. If Narwaz Sharif has the stomach for martyrdom he may not have to wait very long.

All the while Pervez Musharraf is considered our Ally in the war on terrorism. Am I the only one who is getting flashbacks of the Shah of Iran? It's amazing how the West can overlook character flaws in a well spoken, articulate dictator like Musharraf. Scruffy and stuttering Yasser Arafat was charismatic, but never wore a nice suit like Pakistan's leader, who has a major book deal and even was a guest of John Stewart on The Daily Show. Even though Musharraf is easier on Western eyes to look at, he shares a trait with the former PLO leader in that he says one thing in his native tongue, but toes the line when he speaks in English.

It has become harder and harder for me to defend the Religion of Peace. My Muslim friends and the many wonderful people I have met in my travels seem to be at odds with what is happening on the big stage. Good Muslims, in which I have no doubt are the majority, are being held hostage by these small, loud and heavily armed groups who are using the faith to fulfill their dreams of power. Do not believe that these men are men of faith, they cherrypick the Qu'ran to justify their barbarism and ignore the Prophet's rebuke: True Believers wish for themselves the same as they wish for their enemies.