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Islamic leader calls riot a 'crime'

By Xie Yu (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-07-08 07:52

China's top Islamic leader Tuesday called for calm while slamming Sunday's riot in Xinjiang as "a serious crime".

Chen Guangyuan, president of the Islamic Association of China (IAC), said the riot has gone "against the basic doctrine of Islam".

"As head of the IAC, I express my severe condemnation and great indignation over it," the 77-year-old imam said at a press conference.

According to Islamic teaching, killing one innocent person is equal to killing all of mankind, he said.

"From the Islamic point of view, the crimes (of rioters) are very serious and unforgivable," he said.

The death toll has risen to 156 following the riot Sunday evening in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Another 1,080 people were injured.

Islam, with the word itself meaning peace and stability, is a religion that promotes peace and humanity, Chen said.

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"In a period of stability and unification, China is engaged in development and in improving people's livelihood," he said. "It's under these circumstances that these mobs undermined social stability, ethnic unity and the social order."

The riot was not an isolated issue. It was a violent crime which was instigated and directed by separatist forces abroad and carried out by outlaws inside the country, he said.

The riot, which involved assaults, vandalism, looting and arson, was an organized event that has done great harm and resulted in great losses, he said.

He called on people in Xinjiang to maintain stability, guard against rumors and separatists' traps, and not to participate in illegal activities.

"I'm also here to warn those overseas opposition forces that our country is united and stable. Your attempts are doomed to fail," he said.

Xinhua contributed to the story