Following are excerpts from a speech by Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri. Al-Jazeera TV aired this speech on October 23, 2005.

Al-Zawahiri: We felt deep sadness and sorrow at the news of the disaster that befell the Muslim Pakistani people as a result of the earthquake that hit Pakistan and Afghanistan yesterday. We pray to Allah that He will place our brothers killed in the earthquake alongside the martyrs and the righteous. Dear brothers, how I wish – my brothers and I – that we could be with you on this day. But America's collaborators prevent us from supporting our Muslim brothers in their time of hardship.

The important thing is: I call today upon Muslims in general, and upon the Islamic charities in particular, to go to Pakistan and assist their Pakistani brothers. They should try to outdo one another in this. They should bear in mind the troubles they will encounter in so doing. We are all aware of the extent of the raging American war against the activities of the Islamic charities. We all know that the Musharraf government is a branch of the CIA. Despite all this, I call upon all Muslims to hasten to the aid of their brothers in Pakistan, any way they can, and, in order to provide as much aid as possible, they should bear in mind the harm (that may come) from the Americans and their collaborators.