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Chairman of Council of Russian Muftis offers condolences over Nice terrorist attack

On Thursday, a knife-wielding man assaulted people in Nice’s Notre-Dame cathedral, killing three and injuring several others

MOSCOW, October 30. /TASS/. Chairman of the Council of Russian Muftis Ravil Gainutdin has offered condolences to the French people over Thursday’s knife attack in Nice.

"On behalf of Russia’s Muslim Spiritual Board, the Council of Russian Muftis, the Russian Muslim Ummah of 25 million people and on my own behalf, I would like to offer my condolences to the people of France over the inhuman murder of three unarmed people in the Notre-Dame de Nice basilica. We strongly condemn vigilante justice and attacks on innocent people for reasons of revenge, we share the grief and anger of French citizens and empathize with the families facing a devastating loss," the mufti said in a statement published on the council’s website on Friday.

French attacks

On Thursday, a knife-wielding man attacked people in Nice’s Notre-Dame cathedral. Three were killed and several others suffered injuries. The attacker was apprehended by police, he was shot several times and taken to hospital. According to Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi, the assailant kept shouting "Allahu Akbar." Soon after that, knife attacks followed in the French city of Avignon and outside the French consulate in the Saudi city of Jeddah.

On October 16, Samuel Paty, a history and geography teacher, was decapitated after exhibiting Charlie Hebdo’s caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad during a class, dedicated to freedom of expression. After the killing, French President Macron announced a campaign against followers of radical ideologies and related organizations and promised that France would not renounce publishing the caricatures.