Congratulations on the recent press release. I support your sober and balanced approach to the situation in Afghanistan and the horrendous terrorist attacks on the USA. I applaud your urging of the Islamic community in the UK to uphold their social contract and adhere to the middle way of mainstream Islam. I do, however, take issue with your assertion that these attacks should only be prosecuted by international law. In the recent past, the Taliban were provided with extremely detailed formal extradition requests from the USA in relation to the embassy bombings in Africa, and they indicated that there was NO evidence against bin Laden! They have suggested on several occasions that they might put him on trial for these crimes either in Afghanistan or in front of an Islamic court. Clearly, this approach is dismissive of international law principles, including the right of nations to prosecute and punish offenders under the law of the country in which the offence was committed. There are very few situations in which this is not accepted as the correct procedure (mainly relating to disparities in the acceptance and use of the death penalty), and this situation does not fall into those categories. The Taliban have shown no sign that they recognise international law principles, but wish to apply their own approach. In those circumstances, and with new attacks, I completely support the position of the USA in demanding the handover of bin Laden. A number of countries have indicated that they agree that the weight of evidence in the released documents would be sufficient to indict bin Laden, including Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. In addition, it is clear that terrorists are trained and supported by the Taliban within Afghanistan, and they cannot be eliminated without striking at targets inside Afghanistan. I personally deplore the loss of civilian lives in Afghanistan that may result from the attacks against the Taliban and terrorist camps located inside Afghanistan and supported by them, but I believe that the international community cannot stand by and see such an unprovoked attack on innocent civilians such as that which occurred in the US on 11 September. Please do not fool yourselves into the idea that the Muslim world is blameless in areas such as Israel. Three times since WW2 the combined Muslim countries of the Middle East, including Syria, Jordan and Egypt attacked Israel in attempt to destroy it completely. Most have only recently accepted that Israel has a right to exist, and that Jerusalem is the home of several differing and equally important world religions. The fact that Israel now refuses to accept attacks on itself without retaliating is not only understandable, but they have no reason to think that attacks would stop even if they allowed the Palestinian people full self-determination. Good Luck, and keep safe.

Some of the messages on your website beggar belief. I am so sorry that you have been subjected to this wave of hostility from an ignorant minority.

I heard the leader of the Council speaking on Radio 4 this morning and would just like to send my personal support for his call for diplomacy rather than attack. I think our government has made a serious error of judgement in not showing respect to the meeting on the Muslim leaders which is taking place on 10th October (as I believe your leader said). I hope the Council will continue to do all it can to put pressure on governments for diplomacy and justice.

Thank you

The thing that worries me the most is the division within the Muslim faith. I know Bradford Muslims who are refusing to send their children to Mosque Schools because of the violance that these Schools are tying to indoctonate into their pupils. I am aware that not all schools do this, but how can you hope for peace when Imans & Clerics cannot agree with each other about the Koran, and when some Imans and clerics use this division to actively promote violance. There will shortly be a law (hopefully enforced ) in the UK preventing religious hatred, and preventing incitement of religious hatred. This law has been supported by evey Muslim spokesman in the UK. Will they equally support it when Immans and Clerics are arrested in the UK for breaking the law.

Assalamalikoom Dear Brothers and sisters

Im pleased with the friendly and peaceful way and manner in which your council alhamdodillah spreads and propogates Islam in the true way-PEACE. I have just read your latest release regarding stopping the war.Well as the leaders of America and Britian have clearly stated this is a war not against islam or Afghanistan but against the Taleban and Osama Bin Laden and the Al Qaidah network of terrorism. Im disgusted to hear muslims mentioning that this is a war against islam--thats pure rubbish since alhamdoidllah as a muslim in the UK I am free to propogate islam in a a peaceful manner,we are allowed government funding to have mosques and masjids as well as madressas and darul-ulooms(islamic colleges)built as well as in America.In America Islam is the fastest growing religon. The Taleban and Osama Bin Laden are the ones giving us a bad image and name.Osama Bin Laden declaring fatwas such as ordering the killings of westerners(footage of which ive seen him declaring this fatwa) and Kashmiris.Does he not realise that there are many muslims in western countries too.On Monday last week a millitant Islamic group called Jaish e Mohammad(army of Muhammad) with many links to Al Qaida and the Taleban under the rule of Maulana Mohammad Mazoor carried out a suicide attack in Kashmir killing 38 innocent civilians,the majority of them were muslims as most kashmiris are muslims too. The Taleban and Osama Bin Laden justify their actions by saying that those Kashmiris contribute to the indian government through taxes and hence the millitary too. And if you really care for the people of Afghanistan and want to see them living happily then the Taleban must be removed as you can notice their people are going to great lengths to escape the persecution within Afghanistan under the taleban rule such as last year when some Afghan people hijacked a plane to escape to the UK from the Talebans strict intolerable Wahabbism islamic beliefs. So many of these muslims in Algeria get slaughtered by extremists such as the Salafi muslims who are more or less of the same belief as the wahabbis and sponsered by the Taleban. Osama Bin Ladens deputy-Ayman Al Zawaheri,leader of Egyptian Islamic Jihaad believe in torture and violence such as displayed in killing so many policemen and civilians in Egypt such as the massacre of 58 Western tourists and holiday makers in Egypt in November 1997 which his group admitted to and also the bombing of the Egyptian embassy in Pakistan too.Egypt have already sentenced him to death.Does Ayman Al Zawaheri represent Islam in a good manner?.Osama Bin Laden stated two weeks prior to the attacks on New York and Washington that he was gonna hit America very hard-this was stated in many Pakistani and Middle Eastern Papers and he rejoiced at the slaughter of thousands of innocents.What kind of muslim is he? The Taleban,well if they are really good people then what give them the right above the prophets to destroy the buddha statues in afghanistan,a Moulana from delhi prominent stated "what kind of islam do the taleban follow,many prophets lived amongst them statues and they didnt harm them so what elevates the taleban above the authority of the prophets to destroy them"and also the great opium supply as well as the persecution of many afghan people which ive heard in person from the many afghan refugees in the uk who fled their persecution This is not a war against Islam and nor is it a war against afghanistan people..its a war againbst the taleban and osama bin laden who give us muslims a very bad image and name who have terrorised the Afghan people and the American and British people too as well as many others of all beliefs,race and colour on september 11.Millitary action is the only way possible to get rid of these people, they will not talk and they are not diplomats who will sit around a table and discuss and the Afghan people have already started an uprising against the taleban as well as stating clearly to the west "this time please dont leave us as you did in 1989". Also there needs to be more condemnation of Omar Bakri and Abu Hamza since if there isnt condemnation from a major muslim body via the tabloid press since majority of British people read the SUN,MIRROR etc these people may create much islamaphobia and put people off islam as they do and their radical extremist views are creating already alot of tensions at my university in London

Assalamalaikoom