The Muslim Council of Britain has taken out an advert in a national newspaper to condemn the Paris attacks – and reaffirm that terrorists do not represent in Islam.
The council, which represents more than 500 mosques and community groups across the nation, used a full-page ad in the Telegraph on Thursday to denounce so-called Islamic State and the “barbaric” attacks in the French capital which killed 129 people.
The group also sought to reiterate its commitment to “the values of pluralism and tolerance” and insist that the terrorists must not succeed in turning communities against each other.
The advert, which is headlined Terror in Paris and accompanied by an image of the Eiffel Tower, spells out that acts of terrorism and murder are not “sanctioned” by Islam.
It also sought to highlight the actions of a Muslim security guard who reportedly risked his life to stop a suicide bomber from entering the Stade de France.
It reads: “With one voice, British Muslims condemn the Paris attacks unreservedly.
“We offer our condolences to the victims and their families.
“The barbaric acts of Daesh (or ISIS, as they are sometimes known) have no sanction in the religion of Islam, which forbids terrorism and the targeting of terrorists.”
“Muslims have held vigils and donated blood for the victims. It is not the terrorists who represent our faith but brave individuals like Stade de France security guard Zouheir, who risked his life to stop the attackers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Full-page ad in today's <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Telegraph" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3117446-https://twitter.com/Telegraph" data-vars-event-id="c23">@Telegraph</a> organised by <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/MuslimCouncil" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3117446-https://twitter.com/MuslimCouncil" data-vars-event-id="c23">@MuslimCouncil</a> condemning 'barbaric' Paris attacks by Daesh (ISIS) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://t.co/Oy8Gx8jFIy" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3117446-https://t.co/Oy8Gx8jFIy" data-vars-event-id="c23">pic.twitter.com/Oy8Gx8jFIy</a> — Richard Dixon (@Linguagroover) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Linguagroover/status/666910968329453568" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3117446-https://twitter.com/Linguagroover/status/666910968329453568" data-vars-event-id="c23">November 18, 2015</a>
“We re-affirm our commitment to the values of pluralism and tolerance as the best defence against those who seek to create division and fear.
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“The aim of attacks like those inflicted on Paris and other cities across the world is to turn communities against each other.
“As Muslims, Britons and Europeans, we must stand together to make sure they do not succeed.”
The advert was published amid fears of a potential rise in Islamophobic hate crimes following the attacks. Police in Scotland said there had been a spike since Friday.
The organisation has already publicly condemned the attacks and helped to organise the vigil for the victims which was held in Trafalgar Square on Saturday and attended by thousands.
The Evening Standard has contacted the council for a comment.
