THE ARCHBISHOP of York has urged people not to consider Muslims as terrorists following the atrocities at New York's World Trade Centre.

Dr David Hope said Christian history has evidence of the same fanaticism which Osama bin Laden and his followers hold.

But condemning all Muslims for his actions would be the same as condemning all Christians.

"Sadly and regrettably, some have concluded that all Muslims are to be regarded as terrorists, or are at least sympathetic to the cause of the terrorist," he said at the Diocesan Synod in Malton on Saturday.

"Nothing could be further from the truth, for the Koran and the Muslim faith on which it is based speaks of a God of compassion and peace.

"Just as there are those like bin Laden who, in their fundamentalist fanaticism have used the faith of the Koran for his own evil purposes, there have, we must admit, been those of the Christian tradition who in the past have similarly so concluded and acted.

"We need to beware of the fanaticism which arises out of a fundamentalism which is simply unwilling to engage with others in any reasoned discourse."

Although his speech centred strongly on the events of September 11 and the war against terrorism, Dr Hope spoke of other events and the spirit displayed by those affected.

"Certainly we do seem to have taken a battering, one way or another, over this last 12 months or so," he said.

"First the floods, then the Hatfield rail disaster, followed by the fateful accident at Great Heck rather closer at hand, the foot and mouth crisis and so on.

"We begin to ask what next? Can we take much more? What is God saying to us in the midst of all of this?

"And surely our only response can be that God is there, in the thick of it all, in the mess of it all, and even in the worst times and the most tragic events, there have also been the most impressive and moving stories of human heroism, human generosity, a readiness to rally round ... the determination not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good."

Updated: 08:44 Monday, October 15, 2001