Man’s powerful open letter goes viral: ‘Stop blaming Muslims for the #ParisAttacks’

Taking to his Facebook page, Leigh Matthews wrote a heartfelt plea to people reacting to the attacks.

As many were quick to hold Islam as a religion, ordinary Muslims, or refugees from the Syrian region responsible, Mr Matthews attempted to remind them about the reality of the situation.

‘Can I just take this opportunity to remind you all that Mr Mohammed from your local shop wasn't involved in last nights attacks on Paris,’ he wrote.

‘Neither was Mrs Azeer from Lloyds Bank or her family. Kamal from down the road has never been to Paris, and his brother Abdul, the taxi driver, was watching the news in horror along with everyone else.

‘The people behind last night's attacks weren't Muslims, they were extremists using religion as vindication for their cowardice.

‘Please, I urge each and everyone of you, do not lay blame at the doors of the innocent just because of what they believe. They are no more to blame for Paris than you are.

‘We are one world and one family. Treat each other as such, because what happened last night should bring us closer together, not make us lash out against our neighbours for a perceived religion affiliation.’

The status has since received thousands of likes, shares and comments since it was posted early on Saturday morning, as the world woke to the news of the Paris attacks.

Meanwhile, muslim Loose Women star Saira Khan has urged the muslim community to stand up and say the attacks were ‘not in our name.’

‘We absolutely have to come together, because to me what ISIS want is for Islamophobia to be widespread. They want to pitch you against me. They want to pitch people of different colour, that is their strategy and right now I absolutely agree with why people are so angry.

‘They look at people with suspicion, a man with a beard on the tube with a rucksack. I don't blame you if you think it's a terrorist but we've got to hold back.’

‘These people are using Islam and Muslims and it's branded all over the place. I'm a Muslim, it's not in my name.

‘I want to see a million people marching in this country led by Muslims to say this is not in our name because I actually think indigenous people of this country now deserve people looking like me, saying 'we are with you’.’

Shockingly, Saira admitted she had even ‘shopped’ her own cousin, who came over to the country and then disappeared within two weeks.

‘Am I not going to shop him in just because he is my cousin? No, I'm going to shop him in because he went against my British values of honesty, decency and respect.

‘I tell people in my own community, that if you don't like it here go and live somewhere else.’