A Taiwan Islamic leader yesterday called on Washington to narrow the focus of its military strikes on Afghanistan, warning that innocent civilians would be killed and driven from their homes.
Muslims here said they feared a "large number" of Afghans might be either killed or forced to flee their homes in the wake of the US tit-for-tat attacks against the regime harboring Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect of the terrorist strikes in New York and Washington on Sept. 11.
"Due to the US reprisal attacks, a large number of Afghanistan civilians may lose their lives," said Haj Dawood Kuo-an Ni (倪國安), secretary-general of the Chinese Muslim Association.
"And many more are expected to become homeless and starving" as the war continues, a sobbing Ni said. "They are innocent. Why should they suffer for what other people had done?"
The appeal came after the US started to bomb military installations and alleged terrorist camps in Afghanistan on Sunday.
The US air force said it had dropped food in remote areas where displaced people now risk starvation.
Ni also took a swipe at bin Laden for his use and advocacy of violence, which he said ran against the doctrines of Islam.
"Bin Laden and his followers are variants of Islam," Ni said.
"After what they did, the world has the wrong impression that Islam is tantamount to terrorism. As a matter of fact the great majority of Muslims are peace lovers. We regret the development," he said.
The daily lives of Muslims here go undisturbed, he noted.
Ni snubbed bin Laden's call for jihad in retaliation for the US-led air strikes against Afghanistan.
"Jihad should take place only when Islam is suppressed, but this is by no means the case," Ni said.
An estimated 50,000 Muslims live in Taiwan, a minority in a nation dominated by Buddhists and Taoists.
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