Top Islamic religious leaders through the National Ulama Conference of the Philippines (NUCP) chaired by Dr. Aboulkhair Tarason Tuesday condemned in the "strongest terms" the Sunday morning bombing near the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Cotabato City which killed six people, stressing "Islam is a religion of peace."

They joined the Filipino nation appalled by the unidentified perpetrators' yet another horrifying display of disrespect for human lives in Mindanao.

It followed a series of bomb explosions on the war-stricken island that pitted the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to another arena of battle: in the minds of the people as the two sides blamed each other for the deadly attacks.

The Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy (PCID) headed by Amina Rasul, lead convenor, said the upsurge of violence after the collapse of the peace talks in August, 2008 between the government and the MILF underscores the need to go back to the negotiating table.

PCID also slammed the series of bombings in Mindanao.

"The PCID condemns in the strongest terms this terroristic act and calls on government to immediately investigate the bombing to bring the perpetrators before the bar of justice," the group said, adding finger-pointing leads to nowhere.

Tarason, Dr. Hamid Barra, and Prof. Moner Bajunaid, vice chairman and secretary general, respectively, of NUCP, signed the statement that also call to mind Islam's abhorrence of violence.

With its leadership representing many Muslim theologians and scholars from the more than 10 Moro ethnic groups, the NUCP urged the adherents of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Allaihi Wassalam to enjoin good and avoid evil.