Focus on the real target

The United States, to its everlasting shame, rounded up and locked up its ethnic Japanese citizens in World War Two.

America and all countries must ensure this sort of racial or religious profiling does not recur (in the wake of the terrorist attacks in the U.S.)

Muslim scholars around the world, from Bangkok to Medina and Mecca, have explained far better than this newspaper that the actions of the extremists find no justification in the Koran.

The holy book of Islam specifically forbids every outrageous action of the terrorists, from kidnapping to suicide bombers to attacks on the enemy's women and children.

Muslim leaders are adamant: Islam specifically teaches that these acts are forbidden and evil.

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 and dozens of nations 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