‘Not in my name’ – Muslims denounce deadly Paris attacks

Hundreds of Italian Muslims held street rallies in the Italian cities of Rome and Milan to denounce the deadly attacks in Paris and Lebanon.

Under the banner ‘Not in my name’, several hundred Islamic faithful, imams, politicians, Italian citizens, as well as local representatives, observed a minute silence to pay respect to the 170 individuals that died in the Paris attacks and the twin bombings in Lebanon.

The demonstrators expressed solidarity with the victims of the terrorist attacks, rejecting violent acts in the name of religion or the use of Islam as a pretext to violence.

“The message is clear, terrorism cannot continue to attack everywhere in the name of Muslims,” said Abdellah Redouane, head of the Islamic Cultural Centre in Rome, who was attending the demonstration.

"These terrorist groups are only creating hate between peoples and between religions," said Mustapha Hajraoui, president of the Italian Islamic Confederation.

"We are here to say 'no' because our religion is not a religion of terrorism, it is not a religion of war but of peace and coexistence."

Marchers chanted “no to terrorism, held placards saying “terrorism is a cancer to Islam” and “we are not the enemy,” and listened to a message of support from Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

“The Koran is against violence,” “Islam is peace,” read banners held up by demonstrators who gathered in a square in central Rome under heavy police surveillance.

“Honest Muslims denounce the abuse of our religion as a pretext to violence,” Imam Pallavicini, the vice-president of an Italian Islamic Religious Community, told demonstrators.

Rome, like many European capitals, has ramped up security since the Nov. 13 attacks that killed 130 people in Paris.

There have been isolated episodes of violence toward immigrants around Italy and right-wing politicians have called on the country's Muslims to show their rejection of militancy. Khalid Chaouki, an Italian politician of Moroccan origin from the governing Democratic Party, has been put under police protection due to repeated threats against him since the Paris attacks.