ISLAMABAD, Oct 9: Former prime minister and PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto has said that to avoid crisis between the Muslim and the non-Muslim world the communication gap should be covered.

According to a statement issued by the PPP media cell here on Thursday she was speaking at a gathering of intellectuals, businessmen and elite on the subject of relations between the Muslims and the West in Rapid City Colorado, USA, on Wednesday.

Ms Bhutto, who is currently on a lecture tour to the US, said Islam promotes peace and harmony. Those who used violence against innocent people were committing a crime and had nothing to do with Islam, she said and added that some people in the West who claimed that Islam was a religion of violence were wrong.

The former premier said the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) gave a code for Muslims even during the time of war.

Muslims were taught that conflicts were fought with certain ethics in place. Muslims

were taught not to kill by attacking a defenceless victim with the aim of creating terror in society.

The idea of terror sprung up from time to time during history and its most recent manifestation was in the attacks on the Twin Towers.

Nonetheless, she said, the attacks of terror were not particular to people of the Muslim faith. She said that attacks of terror were employed by the IRA who had bombed innocents in London as well as by individuals during different movements unconnected to the Muslim world.