A professor of divinity at Oxford University has defended a decision to employ a Muslim academic who is alleged to have written a book justifying the murder of seven French monks.

Jean Michot, a Belgian convert to Islam, has been made a fellow of the Centre for Islamic Studies, in George Street.

After his appointment, he admitted publicly that he was the author of Le Statut des Moines (The Status of the Monks), which he wrote under the name Nassreddin Lebatelier.

The book has caused anger among Catholic bishops because it appears to justify the kidnap and murder of seven trappist monks by Islamic extremists in the Atlas mountains, Algeria in March, 1996.

It speculates that the monks wanted to be martyrs, saying: "The drama could undoubtedly been avoided with a little good sense, if the monks had followed the suggestion of taking a holiday in France."

The University said told The Observer it had not realised that Michot had left his post at the Louvain-la-Neuve University in Belgium after it was disclosed he was the author of the book.

Speaking personally, Prof Keith Ward, Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford, said he believed that 'nothing he (Mr Michot) wrote constitutes an incitement to murder or violence'.

He described Mr Michot as 'an excellent academic'.

The University said an inquiry by the Centre for Islamic Studies had concluded procedures were correct.

The results of a University investigation are due toare expected to be announced later this week. In a statement, Mr Michot said: "I solemnly attest that I have never developed any kind of apology for murder in my writings or statements.

He added: "I have always thought those killings were a particularly tragic event in Islamo-Christian relations."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.