Hundreds of slogan-shouting Muslims gathered near the U.S. embassy in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, on Friday to denounce U.S. plans for war in Iraq.
Dozens of riot police, backed by two water cannons, stood by as the demonstration, organized by the opposition Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS), got under way after Friday Muslim prayers.
Slogans on banners included: "Drop Bush Not Bombs" and "No Blood For Oil." The 500 protesters chanted "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest), released five doves of peace and burned a U.S. flag.
"Why don't they respect the objections of countries around the world?" PAS leader and parliamentary opposition leader Hadi Awang asked the crowd.
Mostly Muslim Malaysia has supported the U.S. war on terror launched in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States but is strongly opposed to any U.S.-led attack on Iraq.
In neighboring Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, a group representing Protestant churches urged President Bush and Iraq President Saddam Hussein to "hear the voice of people all over the world who love peace and are against the war."
The group said in a statement the Iraqi crisis was "not a conflict between religions," and neither Bush nor Saddam represented their respective theologies. It urged both men to respect and cooperate with the United Nations.
Last Sunday, a Muslim prayer rally in Indonesia's second-largest city, Surabaya, drew up to 800,000 people.
About 85 percent of Indonesia's 210 million people are Muslim. The vast majority are moderate and support government moves against Islamic militants suspected of plotting violence but neither the government nor most citizens are sympathetic to U.S. policy on Iraq.