Muslims victims of retaliation attacks in Australia

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20010913_516.html

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) A school bus carrying Muslim children was stoned and vandals tried to set fire to a Lebanese church in apparent acts of retaliation for terrorist attacks in the United States, officials said Thursday.

Queensland state Islamic Council chairman Sultan Deen said stones and bottles damaged the side of the bus Wednesday in the northeastern city of Brisbane. Nobody was injured.

"The children are quite shaken up," Deen said.

Nine Australians were confirmed dead and a further 85 were missing in the wake of the terrorist attacks in the United States, the government said Thursday.

Deen said public outrage over the attacks had also led to abusive phone calls to mosques.

"It is very disturbing. They are saying things like, `You will be held responsible' and `We'll get you,"' Deen said.

Suspicion for the terrorist attacks has fallen on Saudi national Osama bin Laden, who has been accused of numerous attacks against U.S. targets, including the bombing of its embassies in Africa three years ago. He is believed to be sheltered by the Taliban rulers in Afghanistan.

In Sydney overnight, vandals attempted to set fire to the St. Mary's Antiochian Orthodox church which has a Lebanese congregation and racist slurs and swastikas were scrawled on the walls of another Lebanese church, said police inspector Norm Russell.

Meanwhile, pro-Islamic slogans were daubed on a building in Melbourne's central business district overnight, police said.

Australia's Islamic community condemned the terrorist attacks.

"Terrorism, the killing of innocent people, is a crime against God and against humanity," said Yasser Soliman, chairman of the Islamic Council of Victoria.

Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock urged Australians to not seek scapegoats.

"One of the important values we have in a multicultural society is the tolerance and outward looking view of people from a different background," Ruddock told Sydney radio 2GB.

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