thr 021                                                               


Muslim-US       /WRD/                                                 


   World Muslim leaders ask U.S. to avoid unilateral, military       


moves                                                                 


Kuala Lumpur, Sept 27, IRNA -- World Muslim leaders have asked the    


United States to avoid taking unilateral, military action against     


terror based on mere assumption, a report has said.                   


    "(In the war against terrorism), the U.S. must not try to         


altogether be the investigator, the prosecutor, the judge and the     


executor," said a statement signed by 43 international Muslim leaders 


as quoted by the Indonesian national news agency Antara, on Thursday. 


    The signatories, mostly major Muslim countries, include Yusuf     


Qardawi from Qatar, Khursid Ahmad from Pakistan, Ahmad Rawi from      


England and Hidayat Nurwahid from Indonesia, according to Antara.     


    The Muslim leaders condemned the September 11 devastating attacks 


which levelled the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York  


and caused massive damage to the Pentagon in Washington as well as    


caused an enormous loss in human lives.                               


    Some 6,000 people from 40 different countries and of various      


religions died as a result of the suicide attacks.                    


    The Muslim Koran states that the killing of one person carries    


the same weight as the killing of an entire population.               


    "The September 11 tragedy was a crime against humanity and the    


world Muslim community expresses its condolences to the victims,"     


they said.                                                            


    "Therefore, whoever is responsible for the attacks, whether it    


be individuals, groups or countries, must be made accountable and     


punished."                                                            


    The signatories, however, expressed their disagreement to any     


kind of "war against terrorism" based on assumption and not grounded  


on justice.                                                           


    "Evidence of wrongdoing is required in basic international law,"  


the statement said. It warned the U.S. of more violence if it         


attacked Afghanistan as well as urged it to prevent bloodshed.        


bn/LS                                                                 


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::irna    12:32