Last night I followed the shootings in Paris in horror and disbelief – the daily violence in Syria and other parts of the Middle East coming to a major European capital. It would seem that the attacks were carefully co-ordinated with the intention of killing indiscriminately as many people as possible. 129 is latest total with at least 99 critically injured.
My thoughts are with the families of those killed, the injured and with the French people. I am relieved that many friends have marked themselves as safe on Facebook.
Although it is too early to know who the attackers were, it does appear likely that they are linked with Islamist groups in the Middle East. François Hollande has now blamed the Islamic State.
If these murders spread further division in France then the attackers will have won. Already on Twitter attacks on Muslims have intensified, despite the attacks being widely condemned by the Muslim world. Furthermore, given the indiscriminate shooting, it is well possible that there are Muslims amongst the the dead and wounded.
This is a brutal lesson that The West has to help to bring peace to Syria and other parts of the Middle East and be careful not to make things worse.
If these murders spread further division in France then the attackers will have won. Already on Twitter attacks on Muslims have intensified, despite the attacks being widely condemned by the Muslim world. Furthermore, given the indiscriminate shooting, it is well possible that there are Muslims amongst the the dead and wounded.
This is a brutal lesson that The West has to help to bring peace to Syria and other parts of the Middle East and be careful not to make things worse.
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