Focus on the real target

The U.S., to its everlasting shame, rounded up and locked up its ethnic Japanese citizens in World War II. America and all countries must ensure this sort of racial or religious profiling does not recur. Muslim scholars from Bangkok to Medina and Mecca, have explained that the actions of the extremists find no justification in the Koran.

Why, then, this outpouring of rage against Muslims?

Clearly, there is a twin question of ignorance and insensitivity. Leaders owe it to their people to clear up such problems quickly. By making it clear that they will tolerate no anti-Muslim acts in their own countries, leaders like Mr. Bush and Mr. Blair can help to assure millions of skeptical Muslims worldwide.

The enemy of the anti-terror campaign is not, and will not be, racial or religious.

Rightly or wrongly, millions of people wonder if America and its allies are declaring war on terrorism, or war on Islam.

They will support the former. The latter is intolerable.

-- The Bangkok Post