British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Thursday that Islam was not the target of an anti-terrorism war by the United States and its allies, and announced a package of humanitarian aid for the people of Afghanistan.
The devastating attacks in the United States on September 11 were "not the work of Islamic terrorists ... not the work of Muslim terrorists.
"It was the work of terrorists pure and simple," Blair told a press conference after a meeting with British Muslim leaders.
"Our fight is not with Islam or with the people of Afghanistan. Our fight is with those who planned these terrible atrocities and those who harbor them."
Islamic leaders in Britain have reported increased tension within their communities and believe their followers have been singled out for blame.
Blair condemned the "despicable" attacks which had taken place on Muslims in some parts of Britain since Islamic fundamentalists were blamed for the recent atrocities in the United States.
"There is a minority who are only too happy to use recent events as a convenient cover for racism."
"Such acts and such attitudes have no proper place in our country," he said an hour before he was due at a special cabinet meeting to bring senior government figures up to date on the crisis.
Since the September 11 outrages Blair has been frantically trying to get public backing and government unity to support the use of force in bringing terrorist suspect Osama bin Laden to justice.
Bin Laden has been pinpointed by Washington and London as the mastermind behind the devastating plane attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon that left 7,000 people missing feared dead.
Blair also called Thursday for an international "humanitarian coalition" to help the Afghan people, at the same time as efforts were made to hunt down bin Laden.
Blair said that he would be having further discussions with EU External Affairs Commissioner Chris Patten and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi about measures to cope with the refugee influx.
"I will be stressing throughout the importance of a massive assistance program going hand in hand with diplomatic and military options," he said.
Blair proposed a "concerted aid program", adding that he had already discussed the scheme with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Tens of thousands of Afghans are fleeing the country, fearing for their safety ahead of widely anticipated attacks by the United States and its allies.
The prime minister also urged Britons to go about their daily lives as normal and not allow them to be disrupted by concerns about the terrorist attacks in America.
"These are immensely difficult times. We are engaged in a fight against terrorism on all fronts," he said.
"We will be vigilant but we must not let these events shake our confidence in ourselves, in our country and in our way of life."
Blair issued a warning to Afghanistan's ruling Taliban regime Tuesday to hand over bin Laden or face certain conflict.
In his strongest statement to the Taliban to date Blair said: "If the regime in Afghanistan refuses to do what they know they should, our enemy's friend becomes our enemy too.
"Military conflict there will be, unless the Taliban change and respond to the ultimatum that has been so clearly delivered to them," he added.
President George W. Bush met Sikh and Muslim leaders in New York Thursday in a similar bid to allay religious fears as the global coalition prepares for military action -- LONDON (AFP)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
