British Muslim support for terror

FOUR out of every 10 British Muslims believe Osama Bin Laden is justified in mounting his war against the United States. And more than one in 10 say the attacks on the World Trade Center were justified, write John Elliott and Maurice Chittenden.

A Sunday Times survey, the first large-scale poll of the Muslim community since the start of the bombing campaign against Afghanistan, shows 40% believe Bin Laden has cause to wage war against America and a similar proportion say Britons who choose to go to fight alongside the Taliban are right to do so.

Muslim leaders, some of whom said the survey did not reflect mainstream opinion among Britain's 2m Muslims, said they believed the results reflect increasing anger about America's role in the Middle East and central Asia.

British Muslims - 1,170 were interviewed outside mosques across Britain - are less convinced about Bin Laden's tactics: only 11% believe there was some justification for the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

The Muslims polled were overwhelmingly against the continued American bombing of Afghanistan: eight in 10 believe the action will lead to worsening race relations in Britain. Asked if it was more important for them to be Muslim or British, 68% chose their faith.