WASHINGTON, Nov 6: US Secretary of State Colin Powell has urged the young Muslims to keep the government out of religion.

“Religion has a role in your lives, not in your governments” was the message Mr Powell gave to his Iftar guests on Wednesday night.

His speech, that followed a three-course formal dinner of halal lamb chops and wild rice with the Middle Eastern desserts and Arab coffee, was directed particularly at the young Muslims who were invited from across the United States.

The message was carefully phrased. Instead of saying that there was no place for religion in the government, he conveyed the same message by emphasizing the need to keep the government out of religion.

“America’s remarkable diversity is ensured by a form of government that values the role of religion in our lives, while keeping the hand of government out of our faith,” said Mr Powell.

The secretary, who had selected a dozen high school exchange students and Fulbright scholars to share the head table with him, also stressed the need for “goods, services, information, ideas” and people “to flow freely”.

Almost present among the audience were representatives of some Muslim groups, such as the Islamic Society of North America, who were not invited to the last week’s Iftar at the White House.

And to some of these groups who are upset with the new immigration laws made since 9/11, Mr Powell had this to say: “In the post-9/11 world, we had to ensure that, as we honour our commitment to openness and diversity, we had to do it in a way that was consistent with our needs for security.”

“That’s not easy. It’s always a difficult balance,” he added.

He described the new National Security Entry/Exit Registration System introduced after 9/11 as “an effort to strike the right balance between openness and security”.

“We understand the difficulty that it has presented to people wanting to visit, wanting to come to this country. We understand that it is still imperfect,” he said.

However, the alternative he suggested, another new system of monitoring visitors and immigrants called US-VISIT, is equally controversial among Muslim and Arab Americans.

But Mr Powell said: “It is a better (and) long-term solution which, we, firmly believe, will help ensure that all visitors, of all faiths and all backgrounds, are received here with dignity and with humanity.”

“Let us hold a special place in our thoughts for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, and for those who are helping them emerge from decades of despair,” said Mr Powell to the guests of his third Iftar since 9/11.

During these Iftars and other meetings with the Muslim community, he said, he learned about Islam as a religion of peace. “It is a religion that teaches values we all share, such as tolerance, justice, and respect for human dignity.”