The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, made the following statement in Downing Street after he and other faith leaders met with the Prime Minister.

"We have had a good meeting with the Prime Minister. We are grateful to him, and for the opportunity as religious leaders to share ideas and perspectives at this challenging and unsettling time.

"I am sure I reflect the views of my colleagues when I say that, as religious leaders, we are quite clear this is not, and must not be seen as, a confrontation between religions - or with a particular religion.

"We are resolved to nurture what we hold in common and the values and standards we share - and to reject what seeks to divide us or drive us apart.

"Current developments must not be used here as a pretext or an excuse for hostility and aggression towards any individual or community on the basis of religious adherence.

"At a time when emotions may be running high - when anxieties and fears abound - it is vital that we continue to build bridges not walls, to make friends, not scapegoats.

"I am a Christian leader, but I hope and believe I speak for every one of us when I say we are called by God to resist evil, to pursue justice for all and to seek to live in peace and harmony with our neighbour.

"These are important goals. They are also great challenges. None of us, I suspect is in a position to evaluate fully how current developments will promote these ends. But we pray that those who bear the heavy responsibility of the leadership of nations will seek to pursue these noble goals, with compassion, mercy and maximum respect for innocent lives.

"We pray also for God's grace - for members of the armed forces and their families, for all those who may be innocently at risk and for all in need in our deeply troubled world."