(WASHINGTON, D.C., 1/7/15) — The US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), a coalition of several leading national and local Muslim organizations, strongly denounces the attack on the offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, a severe and inexcusable infringement on freedom of speech.
The shooting attack, allegedly carried out by three gunmen while shouting “God is great” in Arabic, has left twelve people dead. Among the dead are eight journalists, the magazine editor and two policemen. The magazine has received threats of violence in the past due to its controversial caricatures and derogatory references to Islam. Although no one has come forward to claim responsibility, French police have launched a manhunt for the three perpetrators of the cowardly attack.
“We condemn this senseless act of violence. This is a brutal and unnecessary attack on not only the magazine, but the safety and security of all French citizens and their right to freedom of speech,” said Oussama Jammal, USCMO Secretary General. “And, I hope, the barbaric actions of few which are absolutely unrelated to Islam do not cause the general Muslim population to be shed in the same light.”
USCMO offers sincere prayers and condolences to the effected families and hopes for the swift arrest of the perpetrators and that they be brought to justice.
