LOC16:59
13:59 GMT
BRUSSELS, Feb 19 (KUNA) -- The new head of the United Nations
Counter-terrorism (CTC) Executive Directorate rejected today any attempts to
link acts of terrorism with Islam or any other religion.
"The UN has never made any link with a particular religion and terrorism",
Mike Smith told a press conference here Tuesday.
"To make any link with Islam and terrorism is quite unfair, he said
noting that a majority of victims of terrorism are probably Muslims.
"It is kind of crazy to try and say that terrorism is Islam, said the
former Australian diplomat who also speaks Arabic and served as his countrys
ambassador to Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia.
He however, noted that some extremists have tried to link Islam to their
cause. "That is enormously sad and if I was a Muslim, I would be very angry
about that," said Smith who was appointed to his new UN post last October.
The UN official was in Brussels to discuss with EU officials the UNs
global counter-terrorism strategy which was adopted by the General Assembly in
September 2006. (end)
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