ASSAILANTS IN PARIS ATTACK MISDIRECTED PERSON: VICTIM’S BROTHER

Paris, 21 Rabi’ul Awwal 1436/12 January 2015 (MINA) – The assailants who gunned down Ahmed Merabet, the police officer killed in the attack on the office of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, were “false Muslims”, the victim’s brother says.

Speaking for a group of relatives gathered in the French capital on Saturday, Malek Merabet called on people to stay away from revenge attacks and exercise tolerance.

“My brother was Muslim and he was killed by two terrorists, by two false Muslims,” he said, stressing that “Islam is a religion of peace and love.” Press Tv quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting, Sunday.

Malek further noted that France faces a battle against extremism, not against its Muslim citizens.

“I address myself now to all the racists, Islamophobes and anti-semites. One must not confuse extremists with Muslims. Mad people have neither color nor religion,” he said.

A gruesome video has emerged showing Merabet’s death after he was wounded by one of the two attackers. He is shot in the groin, then falls to the ground and pleas for mercy, but the terrorists ignore it and one of them shoots him in the head.

The 42-year-old grew up in a neighborhood in the northeastern suburbs of Paris and graduated from the local public school in 1995. He joined the police force nearly a decade ago.

On January 7, an attack on the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo magazine left over a dozen people dead.

Two brothers, Said and Cherif Kouachi, suspected of carrying out the massacre, were killed on January 9 after being cornered at a printing workshop in the town of Dammartin-en-Goele, northeast of Paris.

One of the brothers had reportedly been convicted on terrorism charges and another is thought to have had links to Yemeni al-Qaeda militants. (T/P002/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)