I stand with Muslim Paris in the face of terrorism

Obama announced that an attack of this kind is not only an attack on France, but also “an attack on the civilized world”.

Meanwhile Paris is in mourning for the second time this year, just ten months after another terror attack hit France’s capital. “We, Muslims of France, can only insist on the need for national unity in opposing this misfortune which has afflicted us and which attacks indiscriminately”. In the week since the Paris attacks, however, his would-be successors-the 2016 Republican presidential field-have jettisoned these efforts.

To the extent that we have the full facts, we know that every single perpetrator of the carnage in Paris was home-grown.

But standing with Paris doesn’t mean standing against Muslims. I write this column IN a city that was attacked by Islamist terrorists 14 years ago, ABOUT a city that was attacked by Islamist terrorists just a week ago, FOR readers with vivid personal memories of an attack by Islamist terrorists seven years ago. “Austrians are more helpful to Muslims than ever”.

“When I asked them if they thought I was violent because I was a Muslim, they were completely shocked”.

It’s important to remember that domestic terrorism is a much more complex phenomenon than events like Paris suggest.

Muslims hoping to come to the US – many of whom are fleeing violence – are also facing the possibility of new restrictions on immigration.

After the attacks, The Local spoke to Elzir Ezzedin, Florence’s imam and head of Italy’s Muslim Union, who emphasized that allowing fear to lead to segregation would be playing into the hands of terrorists. Many were carried out by separatist organizations motivated by nationalist sentiment or ethnic beliefs.

However, it will not stop the moderate, peaceful Muslims, such as members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, to repeatedly and tirelessly condemn these terrorists for their injustices. Many said they’d never seen such reinforced security. Other reputable studies yield similar findings. We isolate our Muslim brothers and sisters, our fellow citizens, by demonstrating our hatred and ignorance of their religion. Apparently a large majority of Americans are un-American. Paris is an indicator of this. “It is for us, Muslims of France, who have religion in our hearts and obey Islam’s principles – a religion of peace and sharing”. “No one should think Muslims aren’t upset with this”. Indonesia, which has the world’s highest concentration of Muslims, a few 204 million in all, saw almost 80% announcing their disdain for the ISIS.

France’s bid comes after Russian Federation submitted a revised text of a separate draft resolution that calls for fighting IS with Syria’s consent – a draft that was shot down by the United States, Britan and France which are refusing to co-operate with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. All of this points to an important truth.

Muslims’ opposition to the ISIS isn’t restricted to words of condemnation. And in this case, they would be people who are refugees from hostility. But it is the Muslims and their supporters who hate our freedoms of speech and religion … as their bombs, their bullets and their lawsuits so often remind us. I know that crimes against Muslims are rising. Our fight against ISIS is their fight too. He is the author of The Fear of Islam: An Introduction to Islamophobia in Europe (Fortress Press, 2015).