Religion used as excuse for extremism and terrorism: Kazakhstan president

Extremist groups are using their religion to justify acts of violence and terrorism, Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev said Wednesday. In his opening speech at the Fifth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions Wednesday in Kazakh capital Astana, President Nazarbayev said the trust that has been built in the decades since World War II has been lost. Describing Islam as a "tolerant" religion, Nazarbayev said that it was "blasphemous" to use it as an excuse for extremism and terrorism. "The destruction of centuries-old cultural heritage sites in Iraq and Syria cannot be called anything else but anti-humane acts," he said. Kazakhstan can be a model for religious freedom, added Nazarbayev, "The key foundation is tolerance and openness." Attended by 80 delegations from 42 countries, the two day inter-religious meeting, which takes place once every three years, is aimed at shaping resolutions for global threats and challenges through communication among religious leaders. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced his belief that the congress is convened at a time when "a dialogue is needed more than ever" against a dramatically changing global security landscape, as the world has witnessed acts of terror perpetrated by militant groups such as Islamic State, Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab and Al Qaeda. He said that the world's religious leaders must therefore speak up and provide a common ground for peacemaking and problem solving at the conference and during the their daily teaching their followers, for "a harmonious society can never be taken for granted, it has to be nurtured day after day." Deputy chairman of the Buddhist Association of China, Jamyang Luosangjiumei Tudanquejinima, has echoed the calls, saying that religion advocates peace and justice, but it has been used over time to foment conflicts and upheaval. "This has aroused the common concern of the religious leaders across the globe," he noted.