ISLAMABAD - The supreme leader of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban has urged Muslims there and around to world to face the threat of U.S. attack firmly and prepare for jihad (holy war) to defend their faith.
Mullah Mohammad Omar told the Taliban Voice of Shariat Radio on Friday in an address monitored by the British Broadcasting Corporation but plagued by poor reception that Afghanistan was an obvious target as a true Muslim state.
The United States, he added, saw this as a danger sign and he cautioned against handing over Saudi-born dissident Osama bin Laden, the key suspect in Tuesday's terror attack on New York and Washington.
"You should know that this is not only the issue of Osama, it is opposition to Islam," Mullah Omar said, according to a BBC transcript.
"Here (in Afghanistan) there are real Muslims and there is real Islam, and the real voice of religion is raised. They regard this as a danger signal and pay attention to this danger signal," he added, referring to the United States.
Mullah Omar recalled that the British and Russian empires had failed to impose their will on the Afghan people in the 19th and 20th centuries and urged Afghans to stand firm against against any U.S. attack.
BE READY FOR JIHAD
"Be ready for jihad," Mullah Omar said.
"Each Muslim should be ready for a jihad against this and be ready for his religion if there is a need for him to sacrifice himself for Islam and his belief, and make a sacrifice for the symbol of belief in Islam," he said.
President George W. Bush, calling this week's terror attacks in Washington and New York "acts of war," is seeking an alliance against those who attacked the United States this week.
Secretary of State Colin Powell said Washington would now judge countries by their willingness to help.
Omar, for his part, called on the world's Muslims to support Islam and defend Afghanistan.
"All the muslims in the world should support their Islam and their own belief, should defend Afghanistan, should defend Muslims and should be ready for anything to make a sacrifice for Islam," Mullah Omar declared.
MASTERMIND BEHIND ATTACKS
"If they don't do this, then they don't do it. It depends on everybody and it is everybody's own business. But they should defend their history and their Islam and their belief."
Omar said that bin Laden could not have been the mastermind behind the attacks on New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Washington, in which suicide squads flew hijacked airliners into the buildings, killing several thousand people.
"Those who sacrifice their lives have a particular purpose and goal. They are not afraid of America or of anybody else. Those who sacrifice their lives don't need Osama to be glad or not glad, or Osama to order them or not," he added.
Omar's broadcast was partially monitored by Reuters in Islamabad on Friday despite poor reception.
In it he said that Muslims should not fear death and each should be ready to die for their faith.
"Whether America will launch cruise missiles or drop bombs or create aggression or whatever it does is ahead of us. We cannot save our skins by cowardice or in any other way," the BBC transcript said.
"If they do this or have the will (to do this) or if God has this will, then it will happen. We cannot save our skins from this."
True believers, he added, had a duty to defend their faith and the symbols of it.
"Each Muslim should think deeply and defend Islam and the Koran. Almighty God is kind and will give victory to these people. If you die for your belief it is a great victory, or if nothing happens it is also a great victory," he added.
"The greatness of the flag of Islam is that, if everything is finished, the flag and the symbol of belief in Islam will remain high. If you destroy the flag, it means you agree with things which are what they (enemies) want. By this you destroy the zeal and name of Islam and cover it with dirt."
03:39 09-15-01
Copyright 2001 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.