Anglican Primate Peter Carnley initiated the letter and asked for the signatures of his bishops. In it, he warns that the military campaign against Afghanistan may not be successful and could incite further violence. “Injustice provides fuel for fanaticism and terrorism,” he says, and urges a broader response.

Dr Carnley’s move to criticise Mr [John Howard] has split the church leadership. The archbishops of Sydney and Melbourne, Peter Jensen and Peter Watson, as well as their regional bishops, who represent two-thirds of Anglicans in Australia, have refused to signthe letter.

Dr Carnley, who is also Archbishop of Perth, wrote that the harsh treatment of asylum-seekers had tarnished Australia’s image and undermined multicultural harmony.

ANGLICAN Church leaders were divided last night after half the church’s bishops refused to sign a letter to John Howard condemning his policies.

The letter attacks the Prime Minister over his treatment of asylum-seekers, and warns the US-led war on terror could be interpreted as a war on Islam.

Anglican Primate Peter Carnley initiated the letter and asked for the signatures of his bishops. In it, he warns that the military campaign against Afghanistan may not be successful and could incite further violence. “Injustice provides fuel for fanaticism and terrorism,” he says, and urges a broader response.

Not only has Dr Carnley split his own church, he is also out of step with the Anglicans’ world leader, Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey.

In the Middle East earlier this month, Dr Carey said he supported the war because it was “a fight against terrorism”, and urged religious leaders not to make the link between Islam and the US-led campaign.

Dr Carnley’s move to criticise Mr Howard has split the church leadership. The archbishops of Sydney and Melbourne, Peter Jensen and Peter Watson, as well as their regional bishops, who represent two-thirds of Anglicans in Australia, have refused to sign the letter.

Dr Jensen took the unusual step yesterday of publishing his concerns and condemning the Primate’s actions.

He said the letter was drafted without adequate consultation, and was “out of date” and “factually inaccurate”.

Dr Carnley, who is also Archbishop of Perth, wrote that the harsh treatment of asylum-seekers had tarnished Australia’s image and undermined multicultural harmony.

In the letter, he says there is plenty of “room at the inn”, and expresses alarm that the Government has “used the lever of Australianaid to coax Pacific Island countries to take asylum- seekers”. He says the annual intake of refugees should be more than doubled to 25,000.

He criticises the Government for its neglect of public schools, saying 70 per cent of children are receiving inferior education as a result.

Directing education funding to the most affluent areas “has not only aggravated divisions within the community, but also underminedthe potential of education to create a more just and fair Australia”.

He blames the crisis in aged care on lack of federal funding, and says homelessness and social inequity is rising.

Dr Jensen said it was important to have Christian views made known to the Government, but they should be clearly derived from theBible.

He claimed the bishops were not properly consulted.