Santa Clara, CA, 3/20/2003 - Muslim leaders from around the San Francisco Bay Area today said the Muslim community is praying for peace in the Middle East.

The joint statement by mosques and Muslim organizations said: "We pray for the safety of innocent Iraqis and our troops. We are especially concerned about women, children and the elderly who suffer the most in any war." A special prayer for peace will be held on Friday, March 21 at several mosques across the Bay Area.

"No one in the American Muslim community supports the brutal dictatorship imposing itself on the people of Iraq. But distaste for the Iraqi regime is not sufficient justification for this war."

"The war may fuel a backlash against innocent American Muslims, Arab-Americans and those perceived to be 'Middle Eastern'. The Muslim community urges law enforcement officials to act proactively to help protect the community from any backlash. We also urge political, community and religious leaders to speak out against bigotry and hatred in all its forms."