LOS ANGELES : Religious Leaders Argue Against Curbing Population

Roman Catholic Archbishop Roger Mahony and Southern California Islamic leader Hassan Hathout took issue Wednesday with those who would place controls on worldwide population.

In a joint statement, the two religious leaders said they disagree with the premise behind the United Nations conference, which will get under way in Cairo on Monday and run through Sept. 13.

Some population experts believe that the planet, with about 5.5 billion people, has roughly 2 billion more than it can support adequately, given existing resources.

But Mahony and Hathout said they are concerned about official programs aimed at curbing population growth.

“We support . . . exploration of the serious problems linked to population growth. However, we are deeply concerned about a portion of the philosophy and strategy presented within the draft text of the Cairo Conference,” the statement said.