LONDON, March 30: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her British opposite number Jack Straw cancelled plans to visit a mosque in his home city, officials said on Thursday, after threats of protests over the occupation of Iraq.

The mosque in Blackburn, northwestern England, said it withdrew its invitation for security reasons after opponents of Friday’s visit, including anti-war protesters, threatened to ‘invade’ the building.

The Foreign Office said it dropped the visit out of respect for the wishes of the local communities but that they still expected to meet Muslim and civic leaders in Blackburn.

“The visit wasn’t cancelled because we don’t like Condoleezza Rice,” said Ibrahim Master, a member of the Masjide Al Hidayahmosque’s governing committee in Blackburn, a former mill town which has a big Muslim population, mostly of South Asian origin.

Master said the committee met on Wednesday night with a group of Muslims which included members of the ‘Stop the War Coalition’, which is sharply opposed to the invasion of Iraq.

He said the group threatened to protest inside the mosque when the two top diplomats were inside. “It would have compromised the safety of the visiting dignitaries,” Master added.

Master said that because the group were Muslims, it would be impossible to prevent them entering the mosque.

Ms Rice is due to visit Blackburn to repay in kind a visit Mr Straw made to her home state of Alabama last year.

She will also attend a concert in Liverpool during the two-day trip, where opponents of British and US involvement in Iraq also plan protests.

“It’s a pity that we will not be visiting a mosque in Blackburn,” a Foreign Office spokeswoman said.

“Everything we are doing on this visit is being done with respect to the communities involved, taking their views into consideration. We are looking forward to meeting Muslim and civic leaders during the visit.”

The Foreign Office rejected the notion that security was a concern. There was no immediate comment from the US embassy in London.

Jamilah Shah, a member of the Stop the War Coalition in Blackburn, said protesters were hoping to prevent Ms Rice from meeting teachers and students at a specialist maths and computer college on Friday.

“Parents at the school haven’t been consulted and are worried about security,” said Shah.

—AFP