IMAN Chairman condemns Sousse attack
Sunday, 28 June 2015
Tunisia beach attack: Sousse protesters denounce terror
BBC NEWS
People in the Tunisian resort town of Sousse have held a march to denounce the attack in which at least 38 people, most of them tourists, were killed by a gunman on a nearby beach on Friday.
The crowds gathered late on Saturday at a hotel also targeted by the attacker.
They marched through the town expressing sympathy with relatives of the victims, 15 of whom were British.
Tunisia's PM Habib Essid announced a security clampdown after the attack claimed by Islamic State (IS).
He said army reservists would be deployed to tourist sites. About 80 mosques accused of inciting violence would be closed within a week, he added.
Friday's attack was the deadliest in Tunisia's recent history. In March, militants killed 22 people, mainly foreigners, at the Bardo museum in the capital Tunis.
'My brothers and sisters'
The demonstrators marched after dark on the streets of Sousse, with many holding candles.
"Sousse will never die!" the crowds chanted.
A separate rally was held in Tunis. "The victims are my brothers and sisters in humanity," protester Karima Benhajj told the AFP news agency.
Hundreds of people attended a rally in the Tunisian resort to denounce Friday's attack
Tourists do the peace sign from inside a bus as demonstrators take part in a rally
Tourists can be seen preparing to leave at Monastir airport near Sousse
Security officials said the attacker, who posed as a swimmer but was carrying a rifle under a parasol, started shooting on the beach before entering the Hotel Imperial Marhaba, continuing to shoot.
Officials later identified the gunman as 23-year-old student Seifeddine Rezgui. They said they had no inkling of what he had been planning.
Commenting on the attack, IMAN Chairman, Ribal Al-Assad said:
"I am deeply saddened to learn of this horrific attack in Sousse, Tunisia, this is a dark day for the country and all those who have lost loved ones at the hands of these animals.
The extremists behind this attack will stop at nothing to achieve their aim of an Islamic caliphate across the region and as we have seen, they will commit barbaric acts of terror in their desperate bid to achieve this aim.
The international community must stand strong against all those who seek to undermine freedom and democracy; there is absolutely no place for extremism in modern society and it is clear that more must be done to confront this global threat.
My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families at this time."
