Posted on 04/10/2004 8:19:22 AM PDT by areafiftyone
KUWAIT, April 10 (Reuters) - A Kuwait-based aide to Iraq's top Shi'ite religious leader, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, denounced the kidnapping of three Japanese citizens as a "terrorist" act and demanded their immediate release.
A hitherto unknown group in Iraq on Thursday released a video showing what it said were three Japanese hostages including a woman, blindfolded and with a gun to their heads, and vowed to "burn them alive" if Japanese troops did not leave Iraq within three days.
"We demand those kidnappers to set them free immediately for the sake of Iraq's interests. Islam is free of such terrorist acts and the use of violence, especially against women," Ayatollah Mohammad Baqer al-Mohri said in Friday sermon remarks, carried by newspapers on Saturday.
"This ugly picture hurts Islam and Muslims as it gives a bad impression about our Islamic religion."
Mohri also denounced what he called the chaos in Iraq caused by the followers of outlawed Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.
Sadr's forces have opened a new front against U.S. forces, bringing battles to Shi'ite towns that had been relatively quiet.
"We condemn the acts of sabotage, chaos and takeover of public property by a group that unfortunately is part of one of Iraq's biggest and best known families," Mohri said.
"The theological and national positions and the position of most Shi'ites in Iraq is that of Imam Sistani," Mohri said.
"Let the Islamic nation and the United States of America know that this is the official position of Iraq's Shi'ites, even all the Shi'ites in the world.
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