DUBAI, Nov 3--Following are excerpts of a videotaped statement made by Saudi-born dissident Osama bin Laden and broadcast on Qatar-based al-Jazeera television on Saturday:

"In the heat of the enormous events and after the strikes that befell America in its most vital parts, in New York and Washington, an unprecedented media hype erupted carrying the opinions of people about these events.

People were divided into two groups, one that supported these strikes against American tyranny and another that condemned these strikes.

Shortly after that, after the United States of America launched its oppressive campaign against the Islamic emirate in Afghanistan, people were again divided into two groups, a group that supported these oppressive campaigns and another that denounced them and rejected them.

These massive events that have divided people into two groups are highly important for Muslims, because from them stem many decisions that are closely linked to Islam and the annulment of faith. Muslims must understand the nature of this conflict and the truth of it, so they can decide which side they want to take.

All the West, with rare exceptions, supports this oppressive campaign, for which no evidence links what happened in the United States to the people of Afghanistan, who have nothing to do with this matter, but the campaign continues annihilating villagers, women and children, without right.

Demonstrations erupted from the far east to the far west, in Indonesia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, India and Afghanistan and throughout the Arab World and to Nigeria and Mauritania.

This gives a clear indication about the nature of this war and that it is primarily a religious war. The people in the east, the Muslims, have sympathised with fellow Muslims against the people of the west, the crusaders.

Those who wish to hide this clear fact, when the world through its behaviour has proved this is a religious war, are deceiving the nation. They want to turn its attention from the truth of this fight, which is established in God's book and in the teachings of our prophet -- God's peace and blessings be upon him.

This issue is a matter of beliefs and as portrayed by Bush, a war against terrorism. These vibrant masses from the far east to the far west are not responding to Osama, they are reacting for their religion because they know that they are right and resisting the strongest, most vicious and most dangerous crusade against Islam since Mohammad - blessings and peace be upon him - was chosen as a messenger (of God).

Bush did not leave any room for guessing or speculation. He came out loud and clear: this is a crusade. He said that before the whole world. What is the terrorism they are talking about at a time the nation is being slaughtered, and this has been going on for tens of years without them reacting.

But when the victim rose to avenge the innocent children in Palestine, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, Kashmir and the Philippines ...hypocrites rose in defence of the infidels. They have conspired with the infidels to sedate the nation and prevent it from the duty of waging a holy struggle.

It is a certain fact that Bush carried the cross high. Whoever stands behind Bush has committed an act that stands as an annulment of their Islam. Look at this war that was launched against Afghanistan, is it an isolated rarity or a link in a long chain of crusades against the Muslim world? Since the first World War which ended 83 years ago, the Islamic world has fallen under the banners of the cross.

For the past 83 years, our brothers, sons and sisters in Palestine have been subjected to the worst forms of torture. Hundreds of thousands of them have been killed, hundreds of thousands have been jailed.

Those who refer our tragedies today to the United Nations for solutions are hypocrites who are deceiving God, his prophet and the believers. Are any of our tragedies not the making of the United Nations? Who issued the resolution for the division of Palestine in 1947 and surrendered the land of Islam to the Jews? It was the United Nations in its resolution in 1947.

Those who claim to be Arab leaders and are still (cooperating) with the United Nations are infidels in the eyes of the message of Mohammad -- God's blessings and peace be upon him. Those who refer issues to international law (for a solution) have abandoned the law of (Islam's) holy book and the teachings of the prophet.

We have suffered because of this United Nations, so no Muslim should resort to it under any circumstance. The United Nations is a tool of crime. We (Muslims) are being slaughtered every day and it does not move.

Our brethren in Kashmir have been, for more than 50 years, subjected to torture. They have been slaughtered, killed and their honour, blood and homes have been violated. And the United Nations does not move.

Today, without any evidence, the United Nations is peddling resolutions in support of America, the oppressive despotic tyrannical (country) against the weak who have just emerged from a massive war (waged) by the Soviet Union.

The leaders of the region are shunning and shying away from supporting their brothers. What is worse is that they are preventing Muslims from supporting their brothers.

Look at the position of the Europeans and the United Nations towards events in Indonesia, when they moved to divide the biggest Muslim country in terms of population. This criminal Kofi Annan speaks publicly and puts pressure on the government of Indonesia, saying it had 24 hours to let go of East Timor. We should not look at this event as separate. It is part of a long chain of plots. It is a war of annihilation.

Rise in support of your religion, Islam is calling you. Your support for us makes us stronger.