THE Bishop of Rochester has called for an increase in communication between different religions in light of the Afghanistan crisis. In an article in this month's Church Times, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali urges members of the diverse faiths to open their channels of dialogue.

Writing in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks and just before the start of the Allied bombing campaign in Afghanistan, Bishop Michael said: "Last month's tragic events have shown us, in the most vivid way, the urgency of the need for dialogue. One of the features of our patchwork and plural world is that, more and more, civilisations are not monolithic. People with different cultures, beliefs and world-views live cheek-by-jowl with one another. So it is not enough to promote dialogue between civilisations: dialogue is needed between them."

Bishop Michael, who was born in Pakistan, said it was imperative that the battle was fought for "hearts and minds" and praised the fact there was substantial emergency aid put aside to help the people affected by the conflict. He also called for diplomatic efforts to go hand in hand with any military action.

"Perhaps the sting of such militancy would be removed if the conflicts in influential flashpoints such as Palestine, Kashmir and Chechnya were to be resolved. Encouraging better internal security in states at risk and choking off the financial supply routes, both semi-official and illicit of extremist organisations are sound policies," he added.

"Military and security measures may, at best, cauterise the immediate sources of danger. Sustained and long-term action, on many fronts, is necessary if the cases of extremism are to be addressed effectively."