Pakistan’s ambassador addresses the Capital Jewish Forum
Pakistani High Commissioner to Australia, Her Excellency Fauzia Nasreen, spoke to the Capital Jewish Forum (CJF) earlier this week.
High Commissioner Fauzia Nasreen with Manny Waks
CJF members, from diverse professional backgrounds, had the opportunity to hear High Commissioner Nasreen speak on ‘Pakistan’s Perspectives and Challenges’ at Pakistan House, the High Commissioner’s residence.
The event opened with cocktails followed by a special promotional screening on Pakistan and then a sombre screening based on the recent natural catastrophe, which has left thousands dead and around 20 million displaced. The High Commissioner then gave her presentation followed by a brief Q&A session. CJF members were then offered a smorgasbord of Pakistani delicacies, whilst enjoying the company of the High Commissioner and each other. Throughout the evening a range of topics were discussed in relation to Pakistan.
Kim Rubenstein, Yvonne Korn, Ernst & Marie-Louise Willheim p. Sylvia Deutch
CJF founder and executive director Manny Waks commented: “The event at Pakistan House encapsulates what CJF represents; engagement and interaction between high level officials and Jewish professionals, in this case a high level official from a country which is on the front line of the global war on terror and who has had no prior engagement with the Jewish community. As always, this CJF event also provided an opportunity for Jewish professionals to interact and identify as Jews in a unique and stimulating environment.
The warmth and generosity the High Commissioner displayed made us all feel very welcome and hopefully the event will promote further interaction between the Jewish community and the senior Pakistani representative to Australia for the benefit of promoting dialogue and understanding.”
Anita Shroot, Athol Morris
High Commissioner Fauzia Nasreen joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan in 1973. She has held various diplomatic assignments in Pakistan Missions abroad including in Tehran, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Rome, Nepal and Poland. High Commissioner Nasreen has also held numerous senior positions at Headquarters, most recently as Director General of the Foreign Services Academy. She holds an M.A. in English Literature.
It is so very nice that the Pakistanis are talking to Jews; it follows the game plan of our highly esteemed Jewish leadership of reaching out, communicating, eating together, demonstrating that people of vastly differing views can talk about, well, nothing important, but talking.
I didn’t read that anyone asked His Excellency, the Pakistani Ambassador who showed the naturally heart-rending scenes of the recent floods, why his excellent humanity loving regime – I mean government – refused Israeli aid for the flood victims. One must suppose that the Pakistanis differentiate between Jews and Israel, except when it comes to gunning them down in Mumbai.
I further didn’t read that anyone asked why the Pakistani governmnent hosts elements of al-Qaeda and why its ISI funds and arms the Talibaan in Afghanistan, a nation with which it shares a border and a faith, Sunni Islam.