Earlier this morning, French authorities identified the suspect believed to have killed seven people in France over the past 10 days, including three children. The alleged shooter has been identified as Mohammed Merah by French media outlets. He is a self-proclaimed al-Qaeda member and has had a long criminal and extremist record, including an arrest for possible terrorist-related activities in Afghanistan.
“MPAC condemns these attacks in the strongest terms possible and is relieved that this criminal is no longer able to cause fear on the streets of France,” said Salam Al-Marayati, MPAC President. “We offer our condolences to the families victimized by this horrific act and call upon the people of France to come together and not allow their national resilience to be impacted by these acts of terror.”
SEE: “French Police Say They Have Cornered Suspect in School Shooting” (New York Times)
ALSO SEE: “Sarkozy Vows to Find Gunman in Fatal Jewish School Shooting” (Globe and Mail)
The victims of the 10-day killing spree include at least three French Muslim paratroopers and four French Jews, three of whom were children ages 7 and younger. All seven victims were shot at very close range and directly to the head.
The fact that this tragedy took place in a religious institution and targeted children is even more disturbing. The sanctity of life and religious institutions is paramount in the principles espoused by the Quran.
French Muslim and Palestinian leaders have condemned the terrorist acts.
“These acts are in total contradiction with the foundations of this religion,” said Mohammed Moussaoui, President of the French Council of Muslim Faith. “France’s Muslims are offended by this claim of belonging to this religion.”
Meanwhile, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said, “It is time for these criminals to stop marketing their terrorist acts in the name of Palestine and to stop pretending to stand up for the rights of Palestinian children who only ask for a decent life.”
http://interfaithcenter.org/archives/2289
FROM MAAN NEWS AGENCY
Fayyad: Stop using Palestinians to justify terror
Published Wednesday 21/03/2012 (updated) 24/03/2012 14:49
Mourners stand around the bodies of the victims of Monday's shooting in Toulouse during their joint funeral service in Jerusalem, March 21, 2012. A gunman, suspected of killing three children and a rabbi at a Jewish school in the name of al-Qaida, said on Wednesday he would hand himself over to police after an hours-long siege in which he wounded three officers. (Reuters/Baz Ratner)
RAMALLAH
(Ma’an) -- PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on Wednesday condemned the
killing of three children and a rabbi at a Jewish school in France,
rejecting the suspected gunman's motive of avenging Palestinian children
killed by Israel.
"This terrorist crime is condemned in the strongest terms by the Palestinian people and our children ... No Palestinian child can accept crimes against innocent people," Fayyad said in a statement.
The suspect Mohamed Merah, 24, claimed to belong to al-Qaida, and to want revenge for Palestinian children and French military involvement abroad, according to France's Interior Minister Claude Gueant.
He is also suspected by authorities of killing three soldiers of North African origin last week.
After an hours-long siege in a Toulouse neighborhood in southwestern France on Wednesday -- in which he wounded three officers -- Merah said he would hand himself over to police in the afternoon.
Fayyad slammed the shootings as an "attack on innocent lives ... a cowardly terrorist act," and he denounced the attempt to link the crime to solidarity with Palestinians.
"It is time for these criminals to stop exploiting the name of Palestine through their terrorist actions, and to stop pretending to stand up for Palestinian children, who only seek a decent life for themselves and for all children of the world," he added.
The PLO's diplomatic mission to Paris also denounced the attack. Palestinians "condemn in the strongest possible terms the hateful attack carried out in Toulouse," a joint statement of the missions to France and UNESCO said.
Noting the prior attack had targeted Muslim soldiers, the diplomats said the reported links between the shootings suggest "the murderer is driven by a multi-faceted racist hatred."
"We warn against any political exploitation of these events, and wish to assure the families and relatives of victims of our solidarity, and we join them in their pain and their grief," it added.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=469956"This terrorist crime is condemned in the strongest terms by the Palestinian people and our children ... No Palestinian child can accept crimes against innocent people," Fayyad said in a statement.
The suspect Mohamed Merah, 24, claimed to belong to al-Qaida, and to want revenge for Palestinian children and French military involvement abroad, according to France's Interior Minister Claude Gueant.
He is also suspected by authorities of killing three soldiers of North African origin last week.
After an hours-long siege in a Toulouse neighborhood in southwestern France on Wednesday -- in which he wounded three officers -- Merah said he would hand himself over to police in the afternoon.
Fayyad slammed the shootings as an "attack on innocent lives ... a cowardly terrorist act," and he denounced the attempt to link the crime to solidarity with Palestinians.
"It is time for these criminals to stop exploiting the name of Palestine through their terrorist actions, and to stop pretending to stand up for Palestinian children, who only seek a decent life for themselves and for all children of the world," he added.
The PLO's diplomatic mission to Paris also denounced the attack. Palestinians "condemn in the strongest possible terms the hateful attack carried out in Toulouse," a joint statement of the missions to France and UNESCO said.
Noting the prior attack had targeted Muslim soldiers, the diplomats said the reported links between the shootings suggest "the murderer is driven by a multi-faceted racist hatred."
"We warn against any political exploitation of these events, and wish to assure the families and relatives of victims of our solidarity, and we join them in their pain and their grief," it added.
No comments:
Post a Comment