The increasing trend of extremism, suicide attacks in Pakistan and the recent arrest of high profile Taliban leaders from Pakistan's port city of Karachi have added to the anxiety of the American officials. The U.S security establishment is particularly alarmed at the arrest of Pakistani Americans in Pakistan on terrorism charges.
U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan N.W. Patterson has been echoing some of these concerns. At a recent seminar in Los Angeles, she said that an increasing number of American citizens were receiving terrorism training in different countries. Washington, she said, was in touch with Pakistan and other countries to keep track of these individuals. She said that although the Obama Administration did not have specific numbers about such Americans involved in terrorism training, these were said to be far more in number than previously thought.
Ambassador Patterson's observation should be a matter of deep concern for Pakistani Americans. A political analyst had presented identical analysis about British Muslims, particularly of Pakistan descent, during a conference in Chicago some years back. The world saw London terror attacks not long after that warning. The London attackers were Muslim young people. Of course, it's the Muslims who are found involved in incidents of terrorism worldwide- in London, Madrid or Bali.
Many analysts fear that it will become difficult for Muslims to live in the United States, God forbid should there be a new terror attack here. Muslims, particularly Pakistanis, who already have to endure painful security procedures and body scans at the American airports, will face even tougher scrutiny after any new terrorist attack. Members of the Pakistani-American community don't hide their frustration at the indifference of the community leaders towards the fresh warning of growing trend of extremism amongst American Muslims, including Pakistanis. Instead of focusing their attention on these reports, the community leaders are squabbling over their petty community politics. Very few realize that the situation for Muslim youth in America is becoming more and more complicated, for they are increasingly becoming suspects. The time has come for the community to become more alert and vigilant of its youth.
