March 24, 2004 - 6:05AM
Australia's Muslim community has called on Prime Minister John Howard to join world leaders in condemning Israel's assassination of the spiritual leader of the Hamas terrorist group.
Australian Federation of Islamic Councils president Dr Ameer Ali urged Mr Howard and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer to express Australia's outrage to Israel.
The wheelchair-bound Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and seven others were killed in an Israeli helicopter missile strike in Gaza.
Mr Downer says he regrets the use of targeted assassinations but endorses Israel's right to protect itself from terrorism.
"This government strongly supports Israel's right to defend itself from terrorism and Hamas is a terrorist organisation," he told parliament.
"This government does not support targeted assassinations, and I'm concerned that the killing of such a high-profile Palestinian leader would simply lead to further violence and the loss of innocent life."
Opposition Leader Mark Latham condemned the killing, saying it would not help achieve Middle East peace.
Mr Downer has urged Australians in the West Bank or the Gaza Strip to leave if they can.
What are they doing there anyway??
By Pierre-Antoine Souchard Associated Press Writer Published: Mar 23, 2004
PARIS (AP) - Letters threatening terror attacks - similar to one addressed to France's prime minister - were received by French embassies in Muslim countries across the globe, officials said Tuesday.
The letters are signed by a previously unknown Islamic group identifying itself as "Servants of Allah the Powerful and Wise."
The letters, sent to two Paris newspapers and addressed to Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, threatened terror attacks against France and French interests, saying the ban on Islamic headscarves in public schools made France an enemy of Islam.
French embassies in Muslim countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia received the same letter, the officials said. They were sent March 15 from a post office near the Louvre Museum in central Paris.
Authorities have taken the threat seriously. However, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy has said the letters do not resemble typical messages by Islamic extremist groups, and authorities are looking into whether they could have been sent by an extreme-right group masquerading as Islamic militants.
Scientists at a laboratory in the northwest city of Nantes are studying the messages for traces of DNA, the officials said.
France's ban on headscarves and other religious apparel in the classroom - designed to uphold a tradition of secularism in schools - is seen by many in the Arab world as anti-Muslim. After being approved in parliament, the measure became law last week. It is to be enforced as of the new school year starting in September.