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A group of Muslim students in France has released a powerful video calling for ‘firmness in the fight against terrorism’ after almost 130 people from 15 nations were killed in a series of terrorist attacks across Paris three days ago.
The group called Etudiants Musulmans de France (EMF) - or Muslim Students of France - took to its website to express its ‘dismay, sadness, and emotion in the aftermath of the tragedy that took place on 13 November’.
With heads solemnly bowed - against an emotional monologue from an EMF member on the aftermath of the attacks playing in the background - the students hold signs simply reading ‘#NousSommesUnis’ - or ‘#WeAreUnited’.
On behalf of French-Muslims, the group said it is sending its deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, wishing a quick recovery to all those injured.
The EMF also said: “In the wake of this national tragedy, we call for unity and solidarity. France must remain united in the face of this wave of violence which has killed innocent civilians and wounded an entire nation.”
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Describing how hate messages ‘do not have any place’ in the country, the EMF added how it fears a rise in widespread negative stigma against Muslims, particularly in ‘the political and media discourse’.
Therefore, the group said it is calling for ‘calm and caution’ in order to keep Islamophobic incidents to a minimum after, according to the Observatory of Islamophobia and the French Council of the Muslim Faith, such incidents rose in the country following the Charlie Hebdo attacks in January 2015.
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Describing terrorist threats as being ‘the struggle of our generation’ this morning on BBC Radio 4 Today, Prime Minister David Cameron added: “Those attacks in Paris… It could have happened in Belgium, it could have happened in Denmark, it could have happened in Sweden - it could happen here.”
The EMF’s message has been translated from French into English and has been edited for accuracy
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