Hundreds of people today gathered in Paris 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 today 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.
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 yesterday announced air strikes had been carried out in Iraq -- the second bombing raids in the space of a week.
