"All speculations and insinuations about our peaceful and humanitarian iniatives are a provocation, a smear campaign, blasphemy and an attempt to achieve certain selfish ambitious goals," the group of European Muslims said in a statement carried by Interfax news agency.

It failed to specify whether their top mufti, Talgut Tadzhuddin, signed the statement.

On Thursday, Tadzhuddin proposed declaring jihad, or holy war, against the United States and called on Russia's European Muslims to raise money to buy weapons and supplies for the people of Iraq.

The next day, prosecutors warned the mufti that he could be charged with stirring religious hatred for his controversial call.

The group of European Muslims, known as the Muslim Spiritual Board of Russia, said it supported the policy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has urged a peaceful solution to the Iraqi crisis within the framework of the United Nations, Interfax reported.

Yet it also called on Russia's Muslims to "boycott films made by the anti-Iraq coalition members, since these films humiliate our national pride and violate religious principles," it said.

It urged Muslims to avoid rallies, but to pray for peace instead, and to donate money to provide medicine and food for Iraqis.

The jihad proposal was immediately rejected by the main spiritual leader of Russian's 20 million Muslims, Ravil Gainutdin.

SPACE.WIRE