Nourishing the Muslim World

The New York Times > Opinion > Editorial: "hree weeks ago, the Commerce Minister of Pakistan came to Washington to meet with his American counterparts. His request was familiar: that the Bush administration lower the odious duties on underwear and shirts from Pakistan, and consider a free-trade pact with the predominantly Muslim country. The response was also familiar: no.

In the din of campaign screeds about national security, the exchange did not draw a mention from either candidate. But it highlights a fundamental flaw in America's economic relationship with querulous allies in the so-called war on terrorism. If President Bush wants to reach out to the Muslim world, there are few better things he can do than allow greater access to the American market. Exporting textiles is a critical step for poorer nations to becoming full participants in the world economy.

Pakistan's biggest industry is textiles, accounting for 45 percent of its manufacturing jobs. Pakistani textile and apparel workers have produced everything from Perry Ellis slacks to Gap shirts. But General Musharraf has enraged fundamentalist Muslims by trying to please Washington on Afghanistan and Iraq. So television images of anti-American fervor in Pakistan often leave companies skittish about doing business there. But the more dependent Pakistanis become on American companies for their livelihood, the less likely they are to join anti-American insurgencies. Washington can help by encouraging American companies, through import duty relief, to remain in Pakistan.

Economics cannot be separated from national security. Young Pakistanis who can't get jobs in factories that export to America sometimes go to training camps to learn how to kill Americans."