Religious figures condemn Xinjiang terrorism

URUMQI - A group of 54 senior religious figures in China's far-western Xinjiang have called for unity among ethnic groups to fight terrorism and religious extremism.

Religious extremism is prohibited in Islam and terrorists will not go to heaven, said Mullah Jarulla Qurban, a senior member of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Islamic Association, at a meeting held on Wednesday in the regional capital of Urumqi.

Islam advocates national unity as well as social stability and harmony, said Mullah Abdureshit, another senior figure with the association.

A true believer should examine his or her own words and deeds all the time and avoid wrongdoing, he added.

The gathering was held after a deadly terrorist attack left 39 innocent people dead and 94 others injured in Urumqi on May 22.

Mohammad Kariaji, a teacher with the Xinjiang Islamic Institute, said Islam is a religion which advocates peace and opposes violence and that Muslims love and seek peace.

All Muslims should safeguard peace and oppose all terrorist activities with concrete actions, cherishing harmony and stability for the common interests of all ethnic groups, according to Kariaji.