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Thursday, January 8, 2015
Excerpts: Muslim leaders condemn 'barbaric' Paris attack. Jihadist threats in the West.Khamenei stresses 'national pride' in deciding January 08, 2015

Excerpts: Muslim leaders condemn 'barbaric' Paris attack. Jihadist threats
in the West.Khamenei stresses 'national pride' in deciding January 08, 2015

+++SOURCE: Al Arabiya News 8 Jan.’15:”Muslim unions condemn ‘barbaric’ Paris
attack”
SUBJECT: Muslim unions , leaders condemn ‘barbaric’ Paris attack

FULL TEXT:In the aftermath of Wednesday’s [7 Jan.] extremist attack in
Paris, Muslim unions and leaders expressed outrage at the “barbaric”
targeting of the Charlie Hebdo magazine headquarters, which left 12 people
dead.

The French Muslim Council (CFCM) condemned the attack, describing it as “an
extremely grave barbaric action.”

CFCM said the bloody shooting was also “an attack against democracy and the
freedom of the press.”

The Muslim Council of France, and of Britain, also denounced the attack.

“This is a thunderous declaration of war. The times have changed. We’re
entering a new phase of this confrontation… we are horrified by the
brutality and the savagery,” One imam at the mosque of Paris, Dalil
Boubakeur, was quoted by The Spectator as saying.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the U.S.’ largest Muslim
civil rights and advocacy organization, offered its “sincere condolences to
the families and loved ones of those killed or injured in this attack.

“We also call for the swift apprehension of the perpetrators, who should be
punished to the full extent of the law,” it said.

CAIR also added that “we strongly condemn this brutal and cowardly attack
and reiterate our repudiation of any such assault on freedom of speech, even
speech that mocks faiths and religious figures.”

It added: “The proper response to such attacks on the freedoms we hold dear
is not to vilify any faith, but instead to marginalize extremists of all
backgrounds who seek to stifle freedom and to create or widen societal
divisions.”

The Islamic Cooperation Organization (ICO) also “condemned in the strongest
words the terrorist attack targeting Charlie Hebdo magazine.”

The 57-member organization said terrorist acts represent Islam’s “biggest
enemy” and are “incompatible with Islamic values and all human principles
and ethics.”

“OIC hopes that the culprits would soon be apprehended and presented to
justice in France, conveying condolences to the families of the victims, the
French government and people and wishing the injured quick recovery.”

The Muslim Canadian Congress also deplored the attack while the National
Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) said justice must be served immediately.

“We are absolutely shocked and horrified by what happened. It is an absolute
tragedy and it is a crime,” NCCM human rights co-ordinator Amira Elghawaby
told Yahoo Canada News.

“We are shaken up by what happened in Paris today. Our hearts and thoughts
and prayers are with the victims and their families and the injured. We are
hoping that whoever did this – the perpetrators of this crime – are quickly
brought to justice.”

The Arab League and al-Azhar,one of the Sunni Muslim world’s most prominent
Islamic institutions, were also among many countries and international
organizations that strongly condemned the attack.

On Twitter, Muslims expressed their condemnation and outrage.


+++SOURCE: Naharnet (Lebanon) 8 Jan.’15:”Paris Killings Confirm Fears of
Jihadist Threat in West”, Agence France Presse
SUBJECT: Jihadist threats in the West
QUOTE:”The deadly attack on France's Charlie Hebdo magazine has confirmed
the West's worst fears that militants will act on jihadist threats to target
Western countries fighting Islamic extremism.”

FULL TEXT:The brazen targeting of a media outlet that sparked widespread
Muslim outrage with cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed is also a powerful
propaganda weapon and potential recruiting tool, analysts say."This attack
was designed to cause shock in the international community," said Lina
Khatib, director of the Carnegie Middle East Centre think-tank."The
'spectacular' manner in which it was executed is intended to show the
influence of jihadist movements in Europe," she said.

It remains unclear whether the attackers who killed 12 people on Wednesday[7
Jan.] have direct ties to groups like the Islamic State organisation in Iraq
and Syria or al-Qaida.

No jihadist group has yet claimed responsibility for masterminding the
assault.

But Max Abrahms, a political science professor at Northeastern University,
said jihadists would rally around it regardless."There is no question that
IS and other jihadist groups will tout this attack as a success that should
be replicated," he said.

Charlie Hebdo was no random target. Its publishing of multiple caricatures
of the Prophet Mohammed caused deep outrage and its offices were fire-bombed
in 2011.

- Goal to 'send a message' -

Prosecutors said witnesses heard the gunmen shout "we have avenged the
prophet" as they carried out the killingsBut Khatib said the reasons for the
attack likely went beyond the magazine's controversial publications.

France is a leading partner in the U.S.-led coalition fighting IS,
participating in air strikes against the group in Iraq.It has also led
operations against jihadist groups in Africa, making it a key target of
extremist ire.The attack's goal was to "send a message to states,
particularly those who are part of the international coalition fighting
groups like IS, that they are now vulnerable," Khatib said.

"The fact that the attackers chose a central area in Paris is very
symbolic... the invoking of vengeance for the prophet is just an excuse,"
she added.

The killings come amid resurgent fears that Islamic extremists will strike
at the heart of Europe, targeting Western capitals.Western intelligence
services have warned recently of the threat posed by Europeans returning
home after fighting in the ranks of militant groups in Iraq and Syria.

Thousands of Europeans are believed to have joined IS, which has declared a
so-called Islamic "caliphate" in the territory it controls.

Almost 1,000 French nationals from a wide range of backgrounds are estimated
to have joined jihadists in Iraq and Syria, including some 400 thought to be
currently fighting on the ground and almost 50 who have been killed.

Both IS and al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the jihadist network's
powerful branch in Yemen, have called on followers to target France
specifically.

- Jihadists tout attackers -

In September, IS spokesman Abu Mohamed al-Adnani singled out France in a
message urging followers to kill "disbelievers".

And AQAP's Inspire magazine both urged attacks against France and put
Charlie Hebdo editor-in-chief Stephane Charbonnier, who was killed
Wednesday[7 Jan.], on a "Most Wanted" list.

Jihadist sympathisers have expressed their approval of the attack online.On
Twitter, they touted the attack using the hashtag "Paris Invasion" and
"Paris is Burning," and describing the attackers as "lions"

Some posted photos of Charbonnier holding an issue of Charlie Hebdo with
cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed with the caption: "This is why he
died."

"This attack will be seen as successful and when terrorist groups give the
appearance that they're successful, it means an easier time for them in
terms of attracting volunteers and recruiting," Abrahms said.





+++SOURCE: Saudi Gazette 8 Jan,’15:”Iran must immunize itself against curbs:
Khamenei”, by Reuters

SUBJECT: Khamenei stresses ‘national pride’ in deciding

SUBJECT:”Nuclear talks to resume January18, says EU”

FULL TEXT::ANKARA — Iran's top authority Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on
Wednesday[7 Jan.] Tehran should immunize itself against international
sanctions imposed over its nuclear program, keeping up a confrontational
stance as talks over the dispute were due to resume.

Western powers, fearing Iran wants to build a nuclear bomb, have imposed
penalties that have slashed its oil exports, causing inflation to soar and
the value of its currency to plummet. Tehran says its work is purely
peaceful.

Iran and six world powers will resume negotiations over the standoff on Jan.
18, the European Union said on Wednesday.

"What would you do if they set a condition for lifting the sanctions that
would compromise your (national) pride?," supreme leader Khamenei told a
gathering, in comments published on official IRNA news agency.

"No official would accept it. Efforts must be made to immunize Iran against
the sanctions," he said, without going into details on how that should be
done.

Khamenei has so far backed the talks and the efforts of pragmatist President
Hassan Rouhani to resolve the dispute.

But he has continued to give speeches larded with denunciations of "enemies"
and "the Great Satan" to reassure hardliners for whom anti-US sentiment has
always been central to Iran's revolution. Some political and religious
conservatives see a nuclear agreement as an infringement of Iranian
sovereignty.

"I am not against the nuclear talks ... but we cannot trust an enemy like
America that says ... sanctions cannot be lifted altogether and
immediately," Khamenei said.

Iranian officials have acknowledged the sanctions' bite, but have called for
the adoption of a "resistance economy" with greater reliance on domestic
producers rather than imports.

The United States, France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China reached a
preliminary agreement with Iran in 2013 for it to suspend its sensitive
nuclear activity in return for easing some economic sanctions imposed during
over 12 years of nuclear dispute.

But the two sides failed for a second time in December to meet a
self-imposed deadline for ending the stand-off, and extended the preliminary
accord by seven months.

Iranian and Western officials have said differences remain over Tehran's
uranium enrichment capacity, how fast economic sanctions should be lifted
and other key issues. — Reuters
=============
Sue Lerner - Associate, IMRA

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