Editorials

Op-Ed Contributors

Chinese Press

Columnists

LETTERS

Violence in any form will fail

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-08-05 07:53

People in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region are strongly against any violence in the name of religion, says an article in People's Daily. Excerpt:

On July 13, a Uygur suddenly disrupted the afternoon prayer in White Mosque in Urumqi shouting "holy war" and provoking Muslims to take up arms.

After imam Abdushukur Rehmutura and other men told them to leave the mosque, the man and his two accomplices took out daggers and waved them at the congregation of worshippers.

They then began chasing a Uygur security guard, who had tried to stop them from brandishing their weapons and disrupting the prayer, and encountered a police patrol. The policemen asked them to stop and fired a warning shot in the air. When they didn't stop even after that the policemen shot them, which is in keeping with the law. Two of the men died on the spot and the third in hospital.

People of all ethnic groups suffered in the July 5 riots in Urumqi. But no religious activities were evident in the violence. In fact, White Mosque staff saved innocent some people and donated generously to help the victims.

The White Mosque imam and other Muslim men said Islam's teachings are against violence and promote peace. True Muslims should bring peace to the people and not kill them or resort to violence. Rioters' attempts to incite Muslims to kill in the name of religion will never succeed because true Muslims won't let them tarnish the name of Islam and use mosques for their ulterior motives.

(China Daily 08/05/2009 page9)