Prez Mahama on France Killings: Are we reading the same Holy Book?
President John Mahama has condemned the killing of 12 journalists in a deadly assault in Paris, France.
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The assault began when two masked gunmen armed with Kalashnikov rifles, a shotgun, and an RPG launcher entered the offices of the French satirical newspaper, Charlie Hebdo, in Paris, which has attracted worldwide attention for its regular depictions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
The attack resulted in the deaths of 12 people, including the editor Stéphane "Charb" Charbonnier, eight other Charlie Hebdo employees, and two National Police officers, while 11 others were wounded.
Commenting on the development Friday, President Mahama said such killings were inconsistent with the dictates of the Holy Quran.
The President dismissed claims by members of the Islamic State - who have embarked on a beheading spree in the Middle East - and Boko Haram in Nigeria - who are killing and maiming innocent civilians – that their activities were inspired by the Quran.
“Are we reading the same Holy Book?” he wondered.
Stressing that the Quran urges people to seek knowledge, President Mahama questioned why people would be killed in the process of the doing that.
“If poor school children are going to school to seek knowledge, what is their crime for them to be killed?” he asked in apparent reference to the bombing and killing of 47 school children in a school in Nigeria last year.
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Police in France are still trying to apprehend the Charlie Hebdo attackers, named as two brothers linked by intelligence officials to militant groups.