Asian Muslim leaders condemn attack on Iraq

Muslim leaders in Asia condemned the US attack on Iraq and saidAmericans would never live in peace again.

Muslim leaders in Asia condemned the US attack on Iraq and saidAmericans would never live in peace again.

"This is not an attack on Islam but an attack on humanity,"said Mr Syafii Maarif, head of the 30-million-strong moderateMuhammadiyah Muslim group in Indonesia, the world's mostpopulous Muslim country.

Malaysia's conservative Islamic opposition said Allah wouldbring about the US superpower's eventual downfall.

"This despicable war exposes the ugliness of America andits allies," said Mr Abdul Hadi Awang, the president of PartiIslam se-Malaysia (PAS).

"PAS is convinced that this war is the start of America'sdestruction because Allah will not let any major power reignsupreme forever."

Mr Murid Timasaen, spokesman for Thailand's Muslims for Peace Group, said Americans would never live in peace again.

"They have attracted more enemies than ever, not only fromthe Muslim world, but also from the Buddhist community," hesaid.

"Countries like Iraq don't have the capacity to fight theAmericans in a conventional war, so more terrorist means will be deployed against the Americans," he said.

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