Muslim head condemns Christmas Day terrorist bid

The head of the Muslim community in Malta has condemned the attempted bombing of an aeroplane over Detroit on Christmas Day.

In a statement, Imam Mohammad El Saadi "thanked Allah the Merciful for the failure of that satanic attempt" because "an additional, unjustified harm against Muslims, resulting from generalisation, was avoided".

He said the failed attempt by the Nigerian 23-year-old did not manage to worsen the relation crisis between the Muslim nation and the American administration.

"A new terroristic attack that could have let extremists in the US to exert pressure on President Barack Obama to change his new friendly approach towards the Islamic World failed," he said.

"We condemn without reservation such a heinous attempt and any similar attack on innocent people, irrespective of their faiths, colours, races or circumstances.

"Even if in certain countries, governments are committing injustices against Muslims, it is forbidden for Muslims to kill the innocent citizens of that country because injustices are not defeated by other injustices, but by fairness," the Imam said.

"To stop terrorism the world is in need of wise and courageous leaders to admit their faults, change their wrong policies and do justice."

The Imam also condemned the attacks on several churches that were damaged by unknown extremists in Malaysia after the High Court ruled in favour of the Catholic Herald newspaper to use the name of "Allah" as a translation of God.