Afghan, Iraqi Presidents Condemn Islamic Extremists

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani made their remarks on the second day of an international conference called "Islam In A Pluralistic World" being held in Vienna.

Talabani said Islam is facing "disfigurement" by what he said are small groups of radicals who have "lost" the meaning of their religion. He described such extremists as "un-Islamic," calling them "deceivers" belonging to "suicide cults" that operate with an ideology opposed to authentic Islamic values.

Karzai said "terrorists" who use the name of Islam to justify acts which lead to human suffering are "unworthy to be called 'human.'"

The three-day conference, hosted by the Austrian Foreign Ministry, brings together Islamic and other religious scholars, politicians, and activists to discuss the role of Islam in the modern world.