U.S. DIPLOMAT:WE'RE IN CONFLICT WITH TERRORISTS AND NOT WITH MUSLIMS

ZAGREB, Sept 27 (Hina) - The United States is not conflict with Muslims but it is in conflict with terrorists and those who support them, U.S. Ambassador to Croatia, Lawrence Rossin, said on Thursday. We are in conflict with the terrorists who planned and carried out terrorist attacks on the United States and with those who support them, but we are not in conflict with Muslims either in America or anywhere else in the world," the American diplomat said after his talks with Zagreb Mufti Sevko Omerbasic. What happened (in New York and Washington) is in the absolute opposition to what is taught by Islam, which is the faith that promotes peace just as Christianity and Judaism, and therefore we are grateful to Muslims in the United States and in the entire world for th support they have offered us, Rossin said. Mufti Sevko Omerbasic expressed satisfaction with the U.S. Ambassador's visit at the moment of high tension between Judaistic- Christian and Islamic civilisation when many would like to exploit it for the conflict between the two civilisations and this would present a disaster for the entire world, the Muslim dignitary said. This visit encourages us to persist in the struggle for peace, tolerance, coexistence and human dignity. We shall persist in it, keeping our faith within its framework, and let politics and experts deal with the rest, Mufti Omerbasic said. He reiterated his condemnation of those who planned and perpetrated devastating attacks in New York and Washington on 11 September, "even if those were Muslims." The American ambassador thanked Mufti Omerbasic for the clear condemnation of the terrorists who carried out the attacks. (hina) ms