Tomi Soetjipto, Jakarta – Muslim leaders in Indonesia, the world's largest Islamic nation, have joined the international outrage over the terror attacks against the United States, but warned the world to avoid an anti-Muslim backlash. They also called on Washington and the Western media against hasty condemnation of Muslim Arabs over the attacks, warning such action could stoke anti-Islamic passions.

"Such attacks on such a grand scale – it's very outrageous, it's worth every condemnation," Muslim cleric Yusuf Muhammad from the powerful Nation Awakening party told Reuters. "Whoever carried out the attack did not have a right to do it in the name of the religion, namely Islam ... killing innocents to achieve a target has never been the heart of the religion."

Suspicion is increasingly focusing on Saudi-born dissident Osama bin Laden. Although his aids have denied his involvement, and Washington has yet to decide if he was behind the violence, the shadowy leader described this week's carnage as "punishment from almighty Allah".

As millions of Muslims crowded into mosques around Indonesia on Friday's Islamic Sabbath, clerics prayed for the victims but also warned against painting Muslims as killers.

Masduki Baidhowi, a top official with Indonesia's largest Muslim group, the 40 million strong Nahdlatul Ulama, condemned the New York and Washington attacks, but urged the United States to protect its Muslim citizens from revenge. "Needless to say, we strongly condemn these acts of terror ... but we also regret the retaliation against our brothers," he told Reuters. "The people should not generalise wrongdoers as one whole group. "This was not an act of religion." He added the US government should not reinforce stereotypes of Arab-Americans as terrorists.

There have been reports of anti-Muslim violence in the United States and Australia after the deadly attacks, which have killed hundreds and left thousands more missing. A mosque was firebombed in Australia's conservative northern state of Queensland and Islamic groups said a busload of Muslim schoolchildren was stoned in the southern city of Melbourne. Australian Muslims came under attack during the Gulf War in 1991 and after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing in the United States. "The Muslim community has grown used to being the victims during the immediate aftermath of almost every terrorist act," said Aishah Amini, a legislator with Indonesian Vice President Hamzah Haz's Muslim-oriented United Development Party. "The whole popular concept of terrorism needs to be changed."

Malaysia and Bangladesh, both Asian countries with large Muslim populations, have also offered support for stern action against people or states involved in terrorism after the attacks on the United States.