WASHINGTON, Nov 28: An elementary school in the Washington area has been in touch with two schools in Karachi as part of an outreach effort meant to increase interaction between American children and children in Muslim countries.

Students of grade V at Patrick Henry Elementary School in the Arlington suburb have sent e-mail greetings to students at Karachi’s Dawood Public School and the Sultan Mohammad Aga Khan School and got back warm messages from the latter.

Patricia Hammond, class teacher of grade V, said on Tuesday the messages sent by children in her class related to Thanksgiving and the messages they received spoke of the observance of Ramazan.

Ms Hammond recalled that President George Bush had encouraged American schoolchildren in the aftermath of the Sept 11 terrorist attacks to write to their counterparts in Muslim countries and tell them about America and establish a bridge of friendship.

This was meant to be part of the attempt to counter the impression in Muslim countries that the United States war against terrorism was targeted against Islam.

Ms Hammond’s school is one of three chosen for the initial contacts, with another in New York, near Ground Zero, and one in the Washington DC area.

The exchange of e-mail messages was watched the other morning by Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, who is of Arab descent.