BAGHDAD, Jan. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- An influential Iraqi religious group expressed optimism Wednesday over obtaining the release of the eight Chinese kidnapped in Iraq.

"All of the Iraqi people know the attitude of the Chinese people toward the Iraqi issue, and I am optimistic that the kidnapped Chinese will be released soon," Sheikh Harith Al Dhari, head of the Islamic Scholars Association, told Xinhua at a press conference.

"As long as the kidnappers claim themselves to be an Islamic party, I feel that the lives of the kidnapped are not in danger," he said.

He called on the kidnappers to release them immediately, sayinghe "appreciated the stand taken by the Chinese people" who are friends and supporters of the Iraqi people.

When asked about the efforts exerted by the association to helprelease the kidnapped, Dhari said his organization had "issued an announcement calling on all the kidnapping powers to release all the kidnapped for the occasion of Eid Adhha (Greater Bairam), whether they (the hostages) are Iraqis or not."

"We also asked them to treat them well according to the teachings of our religion and we hope that they would response to this religious and humanitarian call by the association," he added.

"We asked the Chinese embassy to issue a statement to clarify the nature of those eight kidnapped Chinese and we know that they are individuals who came on their own to work in a textile factoryin Najaf and that they have no relation whatsoever with the occupation forces," said Dhari.

The Qatar-based Al Jazzera TV channel aired Tuesday a video showing the eight Chinese workers who were kidnapped last week as they were heading to the Jordanian capital.