'Bomber' student says sorry

LONDON - A student who became the subject of calls for his arrest after he wore a "suicide vest" in a protest against cartoons portraying Muhammad has made a full apology.

Omar Khayam, 22, said he apologised "wholeheartedly" to the victims of the July 7 attacks and their families for the offence caused by dressing as a suicide bomber in a demonstration in central London.

The part-time construction student, born in Britain to Pakistani parents, said that he decided to wear the military-style webbing because he had found the cartoons showing the Muslim Prophet first published in a Danish newspaper "deeply offensive".

But as he became the subject of increasing media interest, he said that he now realised his actions had been wrong.

Khayam spoke outside his home in Bedford while flanked by his MP, Patrick Hall, and the chairman of a local mosque.

He said: "My method of protest has offended many people, especially the families of the victims of the July bombings. This was not my intention.

"What happened in July was a tragedy and un-Islamic.

"I do not condone these murderous acts, do not support terrorism or extremism and would like to apologise unreservedly and wholeheartedly to the families of the victims.

"I understand it was wrong, unjustified and insensitive of me to protest in this way."

Photographs of Khayam wearing the vest, bought from a military outfitters, and combat trousers appeared on front pages of newspapers at the weekend following the protest outside the Danish Embassy in London.

- INDEPENDENT