KUALA LUMPUR Malaysia has urged the United States to jail anti-Islamic extremists whom it warned were just as dangerous to global security as any terrorist group, reports said today.

Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said it was insufficient for US President George W.Bush to just verbally rebuke prominent US Christians over their anti-Islamic rhetoric.

"A definitive action must be taken against them if we want to avoid a clash of civilisations between Islam and the west," Syed Hamid was quoted as saying by the New Straits Time .

"These anti-Islam extremists pose as much threat to global security as any terrorist group because their lies about Islam could fan more hatred which could spark more violence and atrocities against the innocent.

Anti-Islamic comments

"The US government should, in fact, put them in prison the same way it is demanding all of us to act against extremist elements which oppose its interests around the world."

Popular US televangelists Pat Robertson and Jimmy Swaggart have sparked anger over their anti-Islamic comments this week, drawing a rare rebuke from Bush to the religious right one of his main political power bases.

Robertson has described Islam as "the fountainhead" of terrorism and alleged Muslims were bent on killing Jews. Swaggart referred to Islam's Prophet Mohammed as a "sex deviant" and called for the expulsion of all foreign Muslim students from the US.

Their comments were the latest in a string of anti-Islamic remarks from US conservative Christians in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Last month, Baptist minister Jerry Falwell called Mohammed "a terrorist," sparking international outrage and deadly riots in the Indian city of Bombay. Falwell later apologized.

Bush said the remarks did not represent his views, the views of his administration or most Americans.

No double standard

Syed Hamid urged the US and its western allies not to practise double standards in their war against terrorism by ignoring atrocities inflicted on Muslims in the Middle East and Chechnya.

He expressed "extreme disappointment" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who earlier this week told a reporter to go to Moscow and get "circumcised" when asked why Russia was using mine warfare in the separatist North Caucasus republic and "exterminating" Chechen civilians.

"Leaders like Putin should bear in mind that those who are oppressed would most likely spring back to defend themselves," Syed Hamid warned. AFP