Helen Liddell: "It was a very warm response"

Some of the audience called for evidence against Osama bin Laden to be made public and accused the coalition of double standards in the fight against global terrorism.

The former First Minister Henry McLeish attended a similar event at the Mosque some weeks ago.

After her speech Mrs Liddell said: "I came here not so much to talk as to listen.

"I think it's very important that we maintain a dialogue, and I think it was useful.

"It was a very warm response and I was greatly honoured to be invited."

Security stepped up

Mrs Liddell, who wore a headscarf and dark trouser suit in deference to her Muslim hosts, said she was not surprised at the intensity of the response.

"I think it's inevitable at this time. People are deeply troubled, and one of the reasons why I felt it was important to come here is that there's an awful lot of misinformation about."

The Scottish secretary travelled to New York five weeks ago to lay a wreath at a memorial service for the police and firefighters who perished in the attacks on the World Trade Centre.

Last month, Mr McLeish visited the mosque and announced a �1m plan to upgrade security at mosques throughout Scotland.

It came after two incendiary devices were thrown into the Edinburgh Mosque centre, in what police believed was an attack connected to the terrorist attacks on the US.