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               Americans Speak Out About Paris Terrorist Attacks

   by Mike Richman

   Americans have joined the global chorus of voices condemning the
   terrorist attacks in Paris, offering condolences to the victims'
   families and expressing solidarity with the French people.

   Congressional lawmakers, presidential candidates, Muslim organizations
   and voices on social media are among those speaking out about the
   attacks, which left at least 127 people dead and nearly 200 wounded.

   The U.S. State Department says Americans are among those wounded.

   'United and unbowed'

   The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, said
   Americans are "united and unbowed" in their support for the French
   people. "It will take time to grasp the scale of this horror," Ryan
   said in a statement, "but there is one thing we already know: Terror
   will not prevail. We will."

   ''House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce said his thoughts
   and prayers are with all affected by the "horrific" attacks in Paris,
   the worst terrorist incident in Europe in years.

   "France has been among our closest allies in combating terrorism,"
   Royce said in a statement.  "...The people of France stand on the front
   lines in the fight against a dangerous and growing jihadist ideology
   that knows no bounds."

   Several presidential candidates, including Democrats Hillary Clinton
   and Bernie Sanders and Republicans Donald Trump and Ben Carson, took to
   Twitter to send their prayers to the victims of the attacks.

   Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, said details of what happened in
   Paris were "harrowing."

   A number of U.S.-based Muslim organizations denounced the attacks,
   including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest
   Muslim civil rights and advocacy group.

   "These savage and despicable attacks on civilians, whether they occur
   in Paris, Beirut or any other city, are outrageous and without
   justification," CAIR said.

   "We condemn these horrific crimes in the strongest terms possible. Our
   thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of those killed and
   injured and with all of France. The perpetrators of these heinous
   attacks must be apprehended and brought to justice."

   Islam forbids 'killing the innocent'

   The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, one of the oldest Muslim organizations
   in the U.S., said the attacks are directed at "all of humanity" and do
   not reflect the beliefs of the Prophet Muhammad.

   ''"Islam teaches in the Quran that the killing of an innocent is like
   the killing of all mankind," the group said in a statement. "Prophet
   Muhammad was a noble, kind and patient man who protected the lives of
   all, regardless of religion, and did not engage in such terrorist
   attacks."

   Reactions on social media were mixed. Many who posted on Twitter or
   Facebook sympathized with the victims in Paris; others broadly linked
   Islam to terrorism.

   Laurie Beth Jones, an author of Christian books, posted under the
   Twitter hashtag Prayers4Paris: "So sad about Paris attacks. May the
   City of Lights outshine all the darkness."

   The organization Godless Utopia, which calls for "a perfect world with
   no religion," posted on Twitter and Facebook: "Don't pray for Paris.
   Fight against hateful, oppressive religious ideology."

   Biff Rothschild tweeted: "I wonder who's responsible for the #Paris
   attacks.  What do you think?  Muslims, Muslims."
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   rist-attacks/3058115.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/americans-speak-out-about-paris-terrorist-attacks/3058115.html