This week with the Rev Anthony Bedell, of St Luke with St Philip's Church, Bank Top, Blackburn

THEY are not my cousins and my brothers in Afghanistan that England and the US are bombing.

But they are brothers and cousins of parishioners here.

Our people here have family there and those families are stashing what they can in wheel barrows and joining the one million who are fleeing Kabul from poverty to starvation. Lord have mercy.

And if those who are fleeing are not literally bloodline brothers and sisters and cousins, then they are by virtue of their Arab brotherhood and Muslim brotherhood.

The west, Tony Blair, whoever, are foolish if they ignore the deep bonds of loyalty that Arab peoples feel for each other. So it is not a question of stamping out al-Qaeda or bin Laden.

You can't stamp out a feeling of love and solidarity that spans 20 countries.

It is far more about addressing the pains in Israel/Palestine and Iraq.

Israel meant delight and relief and security to devastated Jews -- but it means anger and bitterness and poverty to Palestinians.

Iraq is still being bombed by UK and US planes; sanctions are depriving them of clean water.

And in Afghanistan 7.5 million are at risk of death from starvation.

So let us stop this bombing. Of course many of us may not like the Taliban. Some may deeply dislike them.

But the roots of this conflict go down to inequality and injustice and poverty.

Let us bomb them with hospitals and schools and hope for the future.

And let us be deeply, passionately aware that members of our community will be ever more resentful that England is bombing their brothers and mothers and cousins.

Our community relations are infinitely precious. So let us stop the bombing now. Please.