A rapper accused of glorifying terrorism appeared in Oxford yesterday at a monthly forum organised by Muslim leaders.

Aki Nawaz and his band Fun-da-Mental caused controversy with their latest release All is War (The benefits of G-had).

Organisers of the debate, at Summertown Hall, claimed police put pressure on them to cancel the event because of public safety fears.

But there were no police officers in sight as around 40 people, of all ages and backgrounds, filed past rows of teacups to hear Mr Nawaz's views. Addressing the audience, event organiser Dr Taj Hargey, of the Muslim Education Centre of Oxford, said: "We do not need to agree with him Mr Nawaz but we have the ability and freedom to meet and mix with people of all shades of opinion."

Mr Nawaz addressed the meeting for around an hour before taking questions.

He said the album had been aimed at provoking debate but he had been hurt by the way it had been presented by some people.

He said: "The foreign policy this Government has is the same one it had in the '60s. It has not progressed."

He added: "I do not want to be on anybody's side. I just want the madness to stop."

Asked to explain controversial lyrics detailing how a suicide bomber and a White House scientist make bombs, he said: "We said it is all evil. Don't tell me one is more moral than the other."

Police have denied they tried to have the talk cancelled.