Recent graduates will play a crucial role in ensuring their congregations don't fall prey to extremists

China will support the education of religious professionals to ensure they receive training that will fully prepare them to carry out their duties in a way that will build trust with believers, President Xi Jinping said at a recent religious affairs conference in Beijing.

As a result, the next generation of religious professionals and leaders, such as those studying at the China Islamic Institute in Beijing, will play an important role in guiding their congregations and ensuring that they follow the path of peace. The young graduates' informal approach and their modern take on religious faith have seen them becoming increasingly popular among believers in mosques around China. To meet the rising demand for young imams, the school has decided to increase student numbers in September, the start of the academic year.

After four years of study, the graduates can recite the Quran in flawless, unaccented Arabic. Meanwhile, their youth means they understand how to use social media platforms to spread religious knowledge and answer questions about affairs, both domestic and international, that concern Muslims.

cuijia@chinadaily.com.cn