The family of one of the police officers murdered in Wednesday’s assault by Islamist extremists on the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris has appealed to the public not to blame all Muslims for the attack.
Ahmed Merabet, himself a Muslim, was one of the 17 victims of a three-day Islamist killing spree that has shaken France to the core.
He was killed by Chérif and Saïd Kouachi as they escaped from the Paris office of Charlie Hebdo magazine after having mowed down 11 people inside.
Graphic amateur video of Merabet’s death circulated widely online following Wednesday’s attack, with many media showing edited versions.
“I am now telling all racists, Islamophobes and anti-Semites that one must not confuse extremists with Muslims,” his brother, Malek Merabet, said at an emotional press conference Saturday in Livry-Gargan (Seine-Saint-Denis). “Stop mixing things up, starting wars, burning mosques and synagogues.” [Read more…]