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Thai Muslims Say U.S. Declaring War on God
JAKARTA, Sept 24 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - A leaflet circulating in Bangkok Monday, referring to the United States as the "devil of peace" has prompted members of the local Muslim community to state that the U.S. has insufficient evidence to justify attacks on Afghanistan.
Muslims in Thailand say they believe the U.S. is declaring war on Allah (God).
Paithoon Jehyode, an Islamic teacher, said if the U.S. harmed innocent Muslims in Afghanistan it would be "tantamount to declaring war on Allah".
The U.S. was campaigning to destroy Islam. The conflict could develop into a jihad, or struggle, he said during a gathering of Muslims.
Muslims gathered at the Central Islamic Committee (CIC) headquarters in Klong Ton to monitor and analyze Washington's military movements.
"The United States has insufficient evidence to justify an attack on the Taliban government of Afghanistan for sheltering Osama bin Laden," the meeting declared in its final statement.
The U.S. holds bin Laden responsible for the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
Many participants said the hijacking of four jet airliners appeared too well organized to have been the work of "mere religious fanatics". Others criticized as "dictatorial" U.S. President George W Bush's address to the U.S. Congress that, "Either you are with us, or you're with the terrorists."
Opposition to U.S. retaliation was voiced during a panel discussion organized by the Foundation for Islamic Center of Thailand, attended by about 500 Muslims.
Arong Suthasart, a Muslim political scientist at Chulalongkorn University, said the U.S. had insufficient reasons to justify its actions.
"Mobilization of armed forces and sophisticated weapons as well as support from the 18 NATO countries to make war with bin Laden alone is unreasonable and shameful. The U.S. should have resorted to other means." Suthasart said.
Suthasart said bin Laden had many times denied being behind the attacks and the U.S. itself said only that bin Laden was a suspect. According to the principle of justice, a suspect cannot be punished without evidence.
Washington should not have told other countries they would be regarded as supporting terrorism if they did not give their support. It should instead resort to legal means, Suthasart added.
Although the U.S. had managed to get support from Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey and Nigeria, the people in those countries did not agree with their governments, he claimed.
Other Muslims have also warned that if the Thai government allowed the U.S. to use its bases for attacks against any Muslim nations, "peace in the country would be destroyed."
The CIC foundation also called for donations from Muslim people to help hungry Afghan people fleeing to Pakistan.
Thai authorities said there were grave concerns about the growing anti-U.S. sentiments in Thailand.
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra sought to appease the Muslim community over the government's stand on terrorism and the possibility of military cooperation with the United States.
"People with ill intentions are trying to stir this up into a religious issue," Thaksin said. "This is simply a war against international terrorism and it has nothing to do with any particular race or religion. I would like all our Muslim brothers to understand this."
Thaksin has said Thailand will back the U.S.'s war on global terrorism, but the government has denied speculation that U-Tapao Air Base might be used as a staging area for U.S. forces.
The Prime Minister said he had instructed Communications Minister Wan Muhammad Noor Matha, a leading Islamic figure, to explain the government's position to local religious leaders, especially those in the predominantly Muslim South.
The spiritual leader of Thailand's Muslims, Sawasdi Sumalyasak, last week gave his support to an international alliance against terrorism, saying the perpetrators of the September 11th attacks were "destroyers of religion".
However, he voiced opposition to Thailand's military involvement in the looming attack on Afghanistan.
With additional reporting by Kazi Mahmood
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