URUMQI, May 16 -- Religious leaders and scholars have called on Chinese believers in Islam to resist religious extremism and condemn terrorism.

The call was made at a symposium that ended Thursday in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which gathered over 100 participants including officials of Islamic associations, well-respected religious people and academic scholars. The symposium is hosted by the China Islamic Association.

Keynote speakers illustrated the spirit of harmony and unity implied in the thinking of Islam and called on Muslims to resist religious extremism and condemn terrorism. They also upheld the spirit of respecting others, upholding fairness, being tolerant and friendly and rejecting excess in the thinking of Islam.

Chen Guangyuan, chairman of China Islamic Association, said the aim of the symposium is to carry forward the fine tradition of Islam, guide Muslims to understand of real meaning of Islam, advocate peace and oppose violence, so as to defend the purity of Islam.

Recent years have seen a surging number of terror attacks under the name of Islam, which caused deaths of innocent people and serious losses. Some people have thus developed a misunderstanding and even bias against Islam and Muslims, bringing challenges to the healthy development of Islam in China.

According to Wang Zuo'an, director of the State Administration of Religious Affairs, religious extremism is "completely off the page" on the fundamental spirit of Islam. He said extremism has nothing to do with Islam, but "maliciously distorts and kidnaps the religion."

"Religious extremism is a deliberate blasphemy, and has become the most viperous enemy of Islam," Wang said, noting that terrorism is neither an ethnic problem nor a certain religion's fault, but an enemy of human civilization.

"It is wrong to label over one billion Islamic believers as dangerous because of some terrorists who are very few in number," said Wang Yujie, a professor with the Renmin University of China.

Meanwhile, Guo Chengzhen, vice chairman of China Islamic Association said: "Muslims should get a clear understanding of the vicious nature of extremism in the disguise of Islam."