THE Bishop of Oxford lit a candle today with the head of the city's Muslim community, calling for everyone to pray for peace in the Gulf.

The Rt Rev Richard Harries, who was at the church of St Peter and St Paul in Botley with Muhammed Aslam Khan, chairman of the mosque in Stanley Road, Oxford, said: "In view of the seriousness of the situation in the Gulf, I ask all members of the Diocese of Oxford to offer special prayers this week.

"Pray for all those who will be making or influencing decisions. Pray that the threat to peace posed by the presence of biological and chemical weapons may be averted by diplomatic means."

He has sent out 800 letters to schools and churches in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire - the Diocese of Oxford - asking them to make this Thursday a special day of prayer.

He is asking the churches to be open from 8am to 8pm and Christ Church Cathed- ral in Oxford will be open for prayer, vigil and candle lighting between 8am and 5.30pm. He said today: "Every option looks quite appalling but I really do think we need masses, urgent and deep prayer from Christians throughout the world in order that we might achieve a peaceful resolution in this conflict. It does look very very threatening but I'm still hopeful." "I think that Saddam Hussain's stock piling of these chemical and biological weapons, and he has used some of them on his own people in the past, does pose a particular threat to the world and it is very important that the international community stands firm against him. "But also I am very conscious how destructive a bombing campaign can be against innocent people."

He added that he was inviting people to light a candle for peace in churches around the county. He said: "In the same way that at the time of Diana's death people instinctively found their way into churches."

Mr Khan said he did not approve of the way the British and American Gov- ernments were threatening to use air strikes against Iraq.

He said: "At the beginning of the Gulf War seven years ago I was totally against it. I did say then clearly it's a mistake.

"Today again I'm saying the same thing.

"Saddam is crazy, wicked and evil. At the same time what the Americans are doing against him is not affecting him, it's affecting the people - people of Iraq, people of Britain, people of America, people throughout the world."

Crews from RAF Brize Norton are on stand-by and over the weekend three VC10s from the west Oxfordshire base flew out to accompany eight Tornado fighters on their way to Kuwait. They were used for mid-air refuelling of the fighter aircraft as they left their base at RAF Bruggen in Ger- many.

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