Tokyo Pray for Release of 2 Japanese Hostages- Islamic followers

Hundreds of Muslims gathered at one of the largest mosques in Japan on Jan. 23 to pray for the safety of two Japanese held captive by the extremist Islamic State group, with the deadline for a ransom payment fast approaching.

An estimated 600 Muslims visited the Tokyo Camii mosque a little after noon on Jan. 23.

Muslims pray for the release of two Japanese hostages at one of Japan's largest mosques, Tokyo Camii, on Jan. 23. (Satoru Sekiguchi)

To the followers, a sheik sent from the Turkish government delivered a sermon themed on “the dignity of life.”

“Islamic principles do not tolerate persecution and violence,” the sheik said. “Killing a person with no good reason is equal to killing all humans.”

Tokyo Camii, located in the capital’s Shibuya Ward, said Muslims belonging to the mosque are praying for the release of freelance journalist Kenji Goto and private military contractor Haruna Yukawa, whom the Islamic State threatened to kill unless the Japanese government pays a ransom of $200 million (23.6 billion yen). The deadline for the payment is believed to fall on the afternoon of Jan. 23.

“The incident is really regrettable as I am also a Muslim,” said Shigeru Shimoyama, 65, a public relations official of the mosque. “It could promote a biased view that the religion of Islam is associated with terrorism and violence.”

(This article was written by Yukari Takahashi and Yusuke Saito.)