White House slams IS Libya 'beheading' of Egyptian Christians
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WASHINGTON: The United States condemned as “despicable” the Islamic State group's apparent beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians in Libya after it released a video claiming to show the killings on Sunday.
“The United States condemns the despicable and cowardly murder of 21 Egyptian citizens in Libya by ISIL-affiliated terrorists,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said, referring to the IS extremists.
“ISIL's barbarity knows no bounds. It is unconstrained by faith, sect, or ethnicity,” Earnest added, saying the latest bloodshed “only further galvanizes the international community to unite against ISIL.”
The Islamic State group in Libya released a video purportedly showing the beheading of the 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians, prompting Egypt's president to threaten a “suitable” punishment for the killings.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said his country reserved the right to “punish these murderers” as he called a meeting of security chiefs and declared seven days of mourning after the video was distributed on social media.
US Secretary of State John Kerry “strongly condemned the despicable act of terror” and offered his condolences in a call with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, agreeing to keep close touch while Egypt decides a course of action, a senior State Department official said.
The footage shows the handcuffed hostages wearing orange jumpsuits being beheaded by their black-suited captors on a beach the group said was in the Libyan province of Tripoli.
“This heinous act once again underscores the urgent need for a political resolution to the conflict in Libya,” Earnest said.
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Comments (55) Closed
Feb 16, 2015 09:48am
How despicable can humans become.???
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Feb 16, 2015 09:55am
Let us see how many Islamic countries condemn this.
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Feb 16, 2015 09:56am
Thanks America, for your supporting Arab spring in Libya, Iraq and Syria, making world unsafe...
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Feb 16, 2015 10:05am
Thanks American leadership for destabilizing another Muslim country. If it wasn't for your invasion of Libya and your interference in the internal affairs of Libya, that country would have still had a functioning stable government and this atrocity would not have taken place.
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Feb 16, 2015 10:05am
Barbaric. Now sufferers will be innocent muslims in western countries where extreme Idealogists in individual capacities will try take revenge.
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Feb 16, 2015 10:10am
I wonder what our stance would be on this matter? After all, we are an Islamic state.
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Feb 16, 2015 10:16am
Why only White House has to condemn? Why does whole world depend on US and then blame them when they help them attack the bad people? So weird and convoluted equations Muslims countries follow.
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Feb 16, 2015 10:31am
As long as all civilized Muslim majority nations do not rise up in one voice against the tyranny of IS this will only increase. Unfortunately this is sorely missing, and even a country like Turkey is sitting on the fence in this matter. No amount of condemnation by non-Muslim countries is going to make a difference to these satans and the continued silence from Muslim countries is seen as a covert acceptence of their misdeeds..
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Feb 16, 2015 10:33am
OMG ! Who says that the Dark Ages are over?
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Feb 16, 2015 10:50am
This has nothing to do with islam and all Muslims should condemn it.
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Feb 16, 2015 10:52am
How can IS justify what is not allowed in Islam. Any person arrested has to be taken care of.
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Feb 16, 2015 11:01am
Where are you headed, islamic countries??? You know karma is going to get back and haunt you...
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Feb 16, 2015 11:01am
I think they should take help from Hollywood directirs for better dramatization. The burning of the pilot was short of real feel as the bob cat extinguished the fire in a hurry. Fake videos again!
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Feb 16, 2015 11:05am
Erdogan, where is your outrage now? Your silence shows who you really are.
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Feb 16, 2015 11:17am
Hypocrisy of US first they declared war on a country....ousted a stable government and left vulnerable war torn country to be breeding hub of extremist terrorists...one would wonder why there was no such thing as Islamic extremists prior to cold war era!
And now they they instigated Muslims to fight their war with fellow Muslims!
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Feb 16, 2015 11:17am
Any protest in Pakistan for humanity???
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Feb 16, 2015 11:31am
@Ali (CA) IS has nothing to do with Islam.
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Feb 16, 2015 11:47am
@Burjor Rustomji
as much as religion can make them.
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Feb 16, 2015 11:59am
3 Muslims in US are killed in a Parking argument, the whole Muslim world including Pakistan and Turkish Erdogan accuse the world of anti-muslim actions. And for the killings of Christians by IS or the constant killings of minorities in Pakistan, there is sudden silence. People have forgotten that Christianity and Judaism exists in Middle East before Islam and what is their status now? Killed, Converted or Chased out. Shows the Hypocracy of the Islamic world.
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Feb 16, 2015 12:04pm
@tanveer Maybe you should try to convince IS that this has nothing to do with Islam.
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Feb 16, 2015 12:11pm
where is the outrage in the muslim world? have not these terrorists do their ghastly acts in the name of islam and thus insulting islam? if Danish cartoons can evoke a world wide response, why isn't ISIS beheadings evoking a response in muslim world ?
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Feb 16, 2015 12:12pm
@Kuzzy He's too busy trying to turn the clock back a few hundred years. No free press, no equality for women and minorities.
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Feb 16, 2015 12:12pm
Anyone can claim to be Muslims and commit a horrific crime saying they are doing it in the name of Islam. That does not mean they are actually Muslims. There is more to this then meets the eye. This group IS makes slick videos of their barbaric acts with black seal of the prophet flag flying close by is a deliberate attempt to show the world that Muslims are committing these crimes. Why else make these elaborate videos other than to show a false narrative. Nazis were good at this type of propaganda as well.
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Feb 16, 2015 12:16pm
Anybody missing Qaddafi? A brave leader who became victim of Saudi arabia and West.
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Feb 16, 2015 12:29pm
muslims must become secular
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Feb 16, 2015 12:33pm
@Burjor Rustomji Why do you say humans have become despicable? Why not say what brand or faith of humans are these? By calling "humans" are the victims also despicable in this case?
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Feb 16, 2015 12:43pm
@Kuzzy
This is very disgusting, humans are humans no matter from which religion they are.
But you see OBAMA was sleeping the whole week in White House when three Muslims were killed cold blooded in America, he only woke up when EDROGAN whipped him.
White House didnt slamed the terrorist style killing of three innocent humans in its own soil?
EDROGAN already said world will keep silence due to America's double standard. nad he is damn right.
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Feb 16, 2015 12:59pm
How many Muslims and Muslim countries, and leaders like Turkey's Erdogan, and Pakistan's Parliament are going to apologize to President Obama and Americans and Christians and Jews (Denmark and Paris)? NONE ZERO NAUGHTA. But wait till one Muslim gets murdered somewhere in India or USA tomorrow.
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Feb 16, 2015 01:17pm
It is the Americans who through their actions created an environment for this so called ISIS to take root in Syria and Iraq. It was the Americans who invaded Iraq. In the case of Syria they funded terrorists to destabilise Syria.
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Feb 16, 2015 01:36pm
And there U go every Pakistani will condemn USA for this instead IS. So u can understand what's the Thoughts of Muslim world on IS. They can Criticize anybody they want to but that will never ever justify any killing for religion
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Feb 16, 2015 01:47pm
@Akhtar As usual blame it all on America and external forces. Here muslims are doing this, their fellow muslims must make them make their misguided muslim brothers understand that their actions are unislamic and not acceptable to muslims.
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Feb 16, 2015 01:52pm
@Kalandar Do you mean, killing of the Jordanian pilot is fake?, what a sick mind!!!!. No wonder people like you are building conspiracy theories for each and everything happen around you. For god sake, why can't we accept our own mistakes & responsibilities and work to resolve it.
Only sick and coward will always blame others for his own mistakes.
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Feb 16, 2015 01:52pm
I feel by championing the cause of democracy,America destabilised the Arab world.If Muslims relish the dictatorship under some weird autocrat, let it be.They always behaved like sheep.so leave them to their fate.Look around now, What a mess!
All these autocrat ruthlessly ensured law and order.Whether it is with the support of mullahs (saudi) or religious police.The world beyond know about their atrocities.The revolution should come from within.But there is no guarantee what kind of regime will replace these dictators.Example:Iran,Taliban of Afghanistan and now this satan ISIS
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Feb 16, 2015 01:54pm
Anyone for ChristianLivesMatter ?
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Feb 16, 2015 02:02pm
This is not Islam & IS is made up of people who are far away from Islam.
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Feb 16, 2015 02:36pm
Pakistan has no message of condemning this heinous act.
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Feb 16, 2015 02:37pm
@True Pak There is a difference. The Muslims in US killed by a person over the parking issue has made several comments against Muslims and that reflects his hate towards Muslim people. But IS is neither islamic nor represents any Muslim. They are following their barbaric agenda and trying to give cover by deteriorating basic Islamic principles. And most of their victims are Muslims.
Please Think before writing!
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Feb 16, 2015 02:50pm
There was no AQ, ISIS or any extremist groups at all in Iraq before the US invasion. There was no AQ or ISIS or any extremist groups in Libya before the US/UK/France invasion. There was no AQ or ISIS or any extremist groups at all in Syria before West started to support the anti-govt protests. Saddam, Qaddafi or Asad were/are no saints but what you have now is 100 times worst.
It's rich that the same people want to blame Muslims for all this mess now.
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Feb 16, 2015 02:58pm
@True Pak "People have forgotten that Christianity and Judaism exists in Middle East before Islam"
And they all lived peacefully for the most part until the middle of last century. There are still 14 million Coptic Christians in Egypt today in case you don't know. There are about 50,000 Jews living in Iran as well who refuse to move to Israel. There are lot's of Western expats living in Gulf oil countries without any issues so not sure what your "killed, converted, chased out" rant is all about.
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Feb 16, 2015 03:20pm
@brmurr The so-called sane minds of civilized societies still failed to distinguish what is Islamic and what is non-islamic? then I wonder how would Barbaric IS understands?
Unfortunately, we are living in a World where everyone believes on what is told by someone rather than inquiring himself for the sake of better and clear understanding
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Feb 16, 2015 03:28pm
Which civilized human being would not join in?
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Feb 16, 2015 03:37pm
@Hussain Are you afraid of future being afraid of a change and let those corrupt-clan despots stay in power, who have brought the poor masses on the verge of poverty ?
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Feb 16, 2015 04:06pm
@brmurr Islam is a peaceful religion and I don't want people blame Islam for their inhuman acts.
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Feb 16, 2015 04:21pm
The West indulged in all sorts of misdeeds in the region just for the geopolitical reasons and the resulting mayhem is this inevitable outcome.
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Feb 16, 2015 05:03pm
@Proudly "And there U go every Pakistani will condemn USA for this instead IS"
One should not condemn US for these killings BUT there was no IS or ISIS or ISIL or AQ in Iraq or Syria or Libya until the US/UK/French invasion of Iraq and then Libya. You have to have context. These kind of murderous groups don't spring up on their own.
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Feb 16, 2015 05:11pm
Someone wants US to start another war in the Middle East. These murderous thugs who call themselves IS or ISIS are as Muslims as the water is dry. Who this "someone" is? Who benefits from all the chaos in the ME? Take a wild guess.
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Feb 16, 2015 06:05pm
The Muslim world claims that the Islamic State is not Islamic?...they also say Islam is a religion of peace?...will Pakistan and religious leaders condemn this barbarian act against Christians?....we all see what the truth is and what hypocrites Muslims really are...disgusted with the continuing carnage in the Muslim world caused in the name of religion..
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Feb 16, 2015 06:12pm
@Burjor Rustomji There is no Boundary.
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Feb 16, 2015 06:13pm
@Allaisa There are busy in their own Hsit!
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Feb 16, 2015 06:16pm
@San - Pak is coconuts of condemning the US friends as these IS people were friends of the West just a while back
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Feb 16, 2015 07:05pm
jumpsuits of similar colour as they wore in gitmo, hmm
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Feb 16, 2015 08:01pm
@Lafanga where is the outrage and protest fom the Muslim world about this?? this is what is on everyones lips now. Why the anger when a muslim gets killed anywhere but no emotions are expreessed for others? Is killing non-mulism permitted and not a crime???
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Feb 16, 2015 09:27pm
Every drop of blood is accountable!
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Feb 16, 2015 10:30pm
US slamming its own child !!!!!
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Feb 18, 2015 11:18am
@M. Asghar Most of turmoil in muslim world is mainly due to Sunni-Shia rift which is there for centuries. Muslims should chalk out their differences. If so called external elements manipulate muslims using their very senseless internal rift then I feel mulsims are almost 100 percent responsible for it. If your house is in order and no internal lift exist this turmoil shall go away. Persons who blame external elements for serious problems in muslim societies are accepting status quo and have no intention of resolving rift within muslim world.
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