bbc - Tuesday, 10 April, 2001, 10:13 GMT 11:13 UK

Bin Laden urges support for Taleban

Bin Laden is wanted in the US in connection with bomb attacks The exiled Islamic militant Osama bin Laden, who is wanted on terrorism charges in the United States, has called on the Muslim world to support the Taleban regime in Afghanistan.

The recorded statement by the Saudi dissident was played to tens of thousands of Muslims who had gathered for a rally near the Pakistani town of Peshawar.

He told them that Afghanistan was the only country in the world with a real Islamic system, and that all Muslims should show loyalty to the Afghan Taleban leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar.

He also urged the gathering to influence young people to go to Afghanistan for military training.

Allegience

"Allah Almighty and you should be witnesses that I, Osama bin Laden, am giving allegience to Mullah Omar" he said.

And he added: "The people [of Afghanistan] are waiting for your decisions. Do not be afraid. Speak loudly and implement the Islamic system".

The Taleban have been sheltering Osama Bin Laden in defiance of demands by the US for his extradition to face charges in connection with bomb attacks on US embassies in East Africa.

The military government of Pakistan has denied showing favouritism towards Islamic groups by allowing the huge three-day gathering, despite a ban on rallies.

A government spokesman said it was a purely religious gathering and these were permitted.

The three-day conference is paying tribute to the Deoband School of Islam, which has inspired the organisers of the gathering, Pakistan's Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam as well as the Taleban in Afghanistan.

Islamic front

During the conference, Mullah Omar attacked the United Nations as a Western tool and urged resistance from a united Muslim front, state radio reported.

"The infidel world is not letting Muslims form a government of their own choice," he was quoted as saying in a message to the conference.

"They want to resist Jihad [holy war] and destroy the Islamic system," he said. "Therefore, under the present critical situation, Muslim unity is needed."

Organisers of the conference pledged their support for Taleban and blamed Western conspiracies for discord among Muslims.

Theological centre

The Deoband school is a leading Islamic theological centre in north India which propagates a puritanical and orthodox Islamic outlook and orders women to be veiled and men to keep their beards untrimmed.

Followers of the 143-year-old seminary arrived from all over the Islamic world to attend the gathering.

Vendors boycotted American products and sold posters depicting burning US and Israeli flags.

"We want to send the message that only Islam has the capability of bringing peace and stability in the world. The West has failed," said conference organiser Mohammed Rahim Haqqani.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2001