President Barack Obama is condemning those who seek to "hijack religion for their own murderous ends."

Obama was speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast, an annual gathering of politicians, faith leaders and dignitaries in Washington. The president called on people of faith to push back on those who seek to distort religion.

Among those attending the breakfast is the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. Obama says the Dalai Lama serves as a "powerful example of what it means to practice compassion."

The president's meetings with the Dalai Lama have consistently been criticized by China. Beijing sees the Dalai Lama as an anti-Chinese separatist because of his quest for greater Tibetan autonomy.