RIYADH, (AFP) — Saudi Arabia’s top religious authority on Friday denounced terror attacks as un-Islamic and condemned the killing of civilians, saying such attacks have nothing to do with the Muslim religion.

“Terrorism is criminal and spills the blood of innocents,” said Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh, the kingdom’s senior most cleric.

“It attacks security, spreads terror among the people and creates problems for society … Such acts are forbidden by Islamic law,” he said in a statement reported on the official SPA news agency.

“It is necessary to fight against the attempts by some to attach terrorism to Islam and Muslims with the goal of distorting the religion and to assail its leadership role in the world,” he added.

The statement was for a conference on international cooperation in fighting terrorism and its financing, to open Saturday in Riyadh.