Muslims Gather In Paris To Denounce IS 'Barbarism'

Hundreds of people gathered in Paris on Friday answering a call by
Muslim leaders to denounce the "barbarism" of Islamic State militants,
as flags across France flew at half mast after the beheading of a
French national.

Imams and ordinary Muslims have rallied to condemn the execution of
55-year-old mountaineer Herve Gourdel this week by militants in
Algeria with ties to the IS jihadists, as the country mourns the
brutal murder.

"This gathering is the strong and vibrant expression of our desire for
national unity and of our unwavering will to live together," Dalil
Boubakeur, head of the French Council of the Muslim Faith -- an
official representative for the country's roughly five million Muslims
-- told the gathering outside Paris's main mosque.

"Islam is a religion of peace", he said, adding it "orders respect for life".

Leading Muslim figures also signed a message published in French
newspapers Friday condemning "atrocities committed in the name of a
murderous ideology hiding behind the Islamic religion".

"We are also the 'filthy French'," said the statement, referring to an
epithet the Islamic State group has used.

- Flags at half-mast -

The demonstration came as flags nationwide flew at half-mast to mourn Gourdel.

The mountaineer was kidnapped on Sunday by Algerian group Jund
al-Khilifa shortly after a chilling call by IS militants for Muslims
to kill citizens from countries involved in a US-led coalition
fighting the extremists, "especially the spiteful and filthy French".

The threat sparked concern in France, and authorities have since
strengthened security in public places and on transport.

The foreign ministry also widened its vigilance alert for nationals
abroad from around 30 countries earlier this week to some 40 nations --
including Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

France has nevertheless said it refuses to be cowed by IS threats. The
government announced Thursday air strikes had been carried out in Iraq
-- the second bombing raids in the space of a week.

Fighter planes destroyed four hangars near Fallujah city, west of
Baghdad, that "likely" contained weapons and other equipment, a
military source said.

Paris opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq but was one of the first to
sign up for an active role in the US-led campaign against the IS
group.

It has six Rafale fighter jets based in the United Arab Emirates,
carrying out the strikes in Iraq.

While it has pledged to push forward with the air strikes, Paris has
stressed it will not deploy ground troops, nor will it expand
operations to Syria, as the United States has done.

But the presidency announced France would "continue and intensify its
support for Syrian opposition forces who are fighting jihadist
groups".