HOLLANDE CALLS FOR UNITY, SAYS ISLAM NOT TO BLAME

Paris, 20 Rabi’ul Awwal 1436/11 January 2015 (MINA) – President Francois Hollande of France called on all French people to unite and uphold the values of democracy, freedom and pluralism, hours after police killed three gunmen involved in two hostage sieges in Paris.

“These fanatics have nothing to do with the Muslim faith,” Hollande said in a televised address Friday. “Unity is our best weapon,” he added as quoted by Anadolu Agency and Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).

The dead gunmen included Said Kouachi and his brother, Cherif Kouachi, who are the prime suspects in Wednesday’s Charlie Hebdo attack.

A third gunman, who allegedly killed a policewoman in Montrouge and later held and killed four hostages in a supermarket in a Jewish neighborhood, was also killed.

“The killing of four people in a Paris kosher supermarket was an anti-Semitic act,” Hollande said.

Hollande also said that unity is “our best weapon” against terrorism.

A number of French political parties, unions, associations and religious institutions are planning a unity march Sunday.

Hollande said he and a number of other world leaders will participate in the event. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Council President Donald Tusk and the British, Italian and Spanish prime minsters, have already confirmed their participation.

“France is not finished with these threats, so I call on you to be vigilant,” Hollande added. (T/P001/R04)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)