Caravan News Desk
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he brutal, horrific and cowardly killing of innocent civilians in Paris is being widely deplored by Muslims around the world.
Condemning the attacks Saudi Arabia’s highest religious body of Saudi Arabia, the Council of Scholars said “Terrorists have no place in Islam and these acts are contrary to values of mercy it brought to the world. ”
The council stressed that eliminating terrorism worldwide would require a “concerted effort” from a “unified moral stance.”
Qatari foreign minister Khaled al-Attiyah, who said they were “heinous”.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, leader of the world’s most populous Muslim nation, said that ”Indonesia condemns the violence that took place in Paris.”
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, who called them a “crime against humanity” Rouhani had been scheduled to visit France as part of a wider European trip this weekend but has postponed his plans.
In Britain Secretary General of Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) Dr Shuja Shafi condemned the merciless bloodletting as “horrific and abhorrent”.
In a statement Dr Shuja said: “we condemn this violence in the strongest possible terms. My thoughts and prayers for the families of those killed and injured and for the people of France, our neighbors.”
Dr Shuja further said, “This attack is being claimed by the group calling themselves ‘Islamic State’. There is nothing Islamic about such people and their actions are evil, and outside the boundaries set by our faith.”
He added, “This week we have once again witnessed outrageous attacks be that in Beirut earlier in the week or Paris today – there is no justification for such carnage whatsoever. We hope the remaining people responsible are brought to justice and face the full force of the law.”
Deploring “unequivocally” these gruesome killings Co-Chair of the New York based Muslim Peace Coalition USA Seemi Ahmed expressed “sympathies prayers and condolences to the victims and all those affected by the senseless violence perpetrated against the innocent in Paris, and demands that the terrorist release the innocent civilians who are being held as hostages,”
Assailing the bloody incident another Co-Chair of the MCP Dr Shaikh Obaid said “We hope that the perpetrators will be caught promptly and punished to the fullest extent of the law,”
He added “We pray that these heinous acts bring the country of France, which has been torn by hate mongering by anti-immigrant and Islamophobic right wing political parties, together in resolve and compassion’ while their law enforcement agencies launch a thorough investigation into the bombings,”.
Dr. Ubaid also said “When the terrorist attacks of 9/11 took place there was no organized hate mongering by the American political parties against American Muslims and no mass scale attacks took place against Muslims in the US. This was in stark comparison to the well-planned pogrom of Muslims in the Indian state of Gujarat after a train carrying volunteers from Hindu militant organizations caught fire in February of 2002. We hope France will follow the foot steps of the US and not of Modi’s Gujarat.”
Dr Obaid urged ” the Western Muslim leadership to be proactive and not be content with the vigorous and unequivocal condemnations of terror committed by Muslim extremists. Most of these terrorist acts are committed by angry and alienated youth who are born or grow up in the Western countries. These youth are angry at the foreign policies of the Western governments which support tyrannical dictators and occupations in Muslim lands as well as they are angry at the alienation and racism they face in their Western countries. This anger is exploited by terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS. Muslim organizations must work with civil rights groups and social justice organizations in their respective countries and devise programs to get these angry youth involved in learning peaceful and democratic means of dissent.”
Dr. Ubaid further said, “Muslim organizations in the Western nations must continue to strengthen their bonds with civil rights and justice groups to make sure that xenophobic groups and opportunistic politicians do not exploit such terrorist acts to further their influence using hate media.
“Let the shedding of innocent blood not go in vain. Let us be both – compassionate as well as decisive. Let us be outraged as well as farsightedly resolute. Let us move beyond condemning terrorism. Let us work towards a comprehensive strategy to combat the cycle of hate-war and terrorism,” implored Dr. Ubaid. “This will help end terrorism and also protect the pluralistic and democratic ethos of the Western nations from the hate peddlers who gleefully exploit terrorist acts by the lunatic fringe.”
While national, local and community leaders have issued press statements common Muslims around the world are using social media to express sympathy with the victims and their families condemn the heartlessness of the attackers.
