Dubai: In a series of tweets and e-mail sent after the deadly terror attack in Paris, editor-in-chief of a leading Qatari newspaper urged Muslims 'not to apologize' for the incident, saying why Muslims should apologize for a crime they have not committed.
"Why do we as Muslims have to apologize for a crime we have not committed? We have to deal with the individual, or individuals who committed a crime without regard to their religion, especially that punishment in law only applies to the perpetrator," Abdullah Al Athba, a prominent Qatari journalist and editor-in-chief Al Arab newspaper said in an e-mail sent to Al Arabiya News.
Stating that attacking innocents is unacceptable and should be condemned, and that he is against the killing of fellow journalists, he asked, "Why is the issue being linked with Islam and Muslims? There are extremist Christians as there are extremist Jews, yet no one asks the Church for example to condemn attacks on Muslims and Mosques in Sweden and hatred campaigns against Muslims in Germany."
"The French judiciary is supposed to deal with the case without politicizing it or taking it as an excuse against Muslims in France or in the West or elsewhere," he said.
Twelve people were killed in a shooting at the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical newspaper firebombed in the past after publishing cartoons joking about Muslim leaders.
The Arab League, Saudi Arabia and Al-Azhar have all condemned the deadly shooting by the black-hooded gunmen.
"Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi strongly condemns the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo newspaper in Paris," the League said.
In remarks carried by Egypt's state news agency MENA, Al-Azhar said: "Islam denounces any violence."
The official SPA news agency carried a statement saying: "Saudi Arabia denounces this cowardly terrorist act which Islam as well as other religions reject."
"Saudi Arabia offers its condolences to the families of the victims as well as the government and people of the French republic and wishes a speedy recovery for the wounded," the statement added.
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