The U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), a coalition of leading national and local Muslim groups, held a news conference in Washington, D.C., Saturday to condemn Friday's terror attacks in Paris.
“We are revolted by this heinous attack on civilians," said Nihad Awad Executive Director of the Council of America-Islamic Relations, adding the response to ISIS should be "swift, methodical and principal."
Awad contested the notion that the militant group represents Muslims and urged the media and world leaders to "not give ISIS legitimacy by calling them the Islamic State."
"They are not Islamic and they are not a State,” he said.
Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, speaking on behalf of the Muslim Alliance of North America, called upon Muslim communities in Europe to speak out and stand up against extremism.
"We are deeply saddened by this horrific incident and our hearts go out to the families of the victims. These types of senseless acts of violence are condemned and unequivocally rejected," said Oussama Jammal, the secretary general of USCMO, in a press release.
