Arabs, Muslims condemn ‘repugnant’ Paris attacks
November 14, 2015, 8:43 pm

Paris is under lockdown and French borders are closes as Hollande declares war on terrorists [Xinhua]

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was among the first in the Middle East to condemn the multiple attacks in Paris.

“This is a crime against humanity,” Rouhani said.

He also Tweeted directly to French President Francois Hollande: “On behalf of [the] great nation of Iran who’s suffered evils of terrorism I condemn [the] Paris attacks. Our thoughts & prayers are with you.”

The Iranian news agency also said that Rouhani had canceled his scheduled visits to France and Italy but did not provide reasons why.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country stood in solidarity with France because it knew well the pain inflicted by terrorism. He called for the world to unite in a common fight against global terror.

Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad also referenced the impact of terrorism in his country and condemned the Paris attacks as savage acts of terror.

In the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan condemned the attacks and pledged to Hollande that Abu Dhabi would do “what it takes to face terrorism and eliminate it.”

In Egypt, which Hollande visited during the inauguration of the new Suez Canal in August, TV talk show hosts reminded viewers that Paris was a “friend” to Cairo.

ONTV host Youssef el Hosseiny kicked off his nightly talk show by expressing solidarity with the people of France and condemning the attacks.

Earlier, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi expressed solidarity with France and his support for international efforts against the Islamic State and terrorism at large.

Egypt’s national television network said that El-Sisi held a minute of silence in solidarity with the French victims during a meeting with business leaders on Saturday.

The leading cleric of the Al Azhar mosque, the most influential institution in Sunni Islam, condemned the Paris attacks and said that the Islamic State violated the laws of Allah and the Shariah.

“The time has come for the world to cooperate to confront this frantic monster,” said Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayyeb said.

On social media, meanwhile, Muslim and Arab commentators condemned the attacks as repugnant and unconscionable but also called on the world not to blame Islam.

As some pundits hinted that Europe’s welcoming of Syrian and Iraqi refugees would spell a security nightmare, others on social media said it was ridiculous to blame desperate peoples who were fleeing the very violence that struck Paris on Friday.

The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies