Quebec Muslim Leader: Islam ‘Not a Threat,’ Charlie Hebdo ‘Fundamentalist’

The President of the Quebec Muslim Association accused the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo of inciting the Islamist terrorist attack that led to the killing of at least 12 people at the publication’s offices in Paris.

“Islam is not a threat. The threat is organizations like Charlie Hebdo themselves fomenting the division and intolerance,” said Genevieve LePage, President of the Quebec Muslim Association, Le Journal De Montreal reports in French.

LePage stressed that Charlie Hebdo has pushed “a form of fundamentalism that is very disrespectful of the beliefs of others and diversity,” adding that speech should be more tolerant.

The association leader also said that the “Islamaphobic ideologues” will use the attack in Paris to feed Islamophobia in Quebec.

Le Journal De Montreal notes that LePage’s position is not representative of the entire Muslim community in Quebec.

“Muslims are also victims of this act,” said Lamine Foura, founder of the Maghreb Congress of Quebec, adding, “Go and kill people just because they made drawings, caricatures… it’s horrible, I’m really depressed.”

“[The terrorist attack] is the worst caricature associated with Islam that has been made,” also said Foura. “I prefer those of Charlie Hebdo, which sometimes defend Islam and attack the fundamentalists. ”

According to Le Journal De Montreal, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Canada also condemned the attack and offered condolences to the victims and their families.

Breitbart News reports that the manhunt for the two jihadist gunmen suspected of carrying out the terrorist attack against the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris continues into Thursday.

Streets to Paris are shut down as heavily armed French officers hunt down for the jihadists.