Pakistan's Religious Right Wants Americans Fingerprinted, Tested for HIV

Pakistan's religious right, in a reflection of growing outrage against the United States, called Tuesday for the fingerprinting of Americans, a boycott of U.S. products, and compulsory AIDS testing of U.S. visitors. A coalition of Islamic parties, which gained considerable political clout in the October general elections, presented its demands in a list to the government and threatened nationwide demonstrations to push for them. While a boycott would be up to consumers, the government said fingerprinting or mandatory HIV tests -- which the government would control -- were out of the question. "Such demands cannot be accepted," Interior Ministry spokesperson Iftikar Ahmad said, without elaborating. He accused the religious right of trying to make trouble for President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and the pro-military government that is a staunch ally of the U.S. war on terror.

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