Members of the Islamic community in Malta this afternoon held a protest against terrorism at the mosque in Paola.

Many of them carried placards condemning terrorism and saying that it harms Islam.The protest started after Friday prayers, with some 100 people, mostly men, taking part.

Imam Mohamed El Sadi led the protest, held in the wake of terrorist attacks in Paris and the US.

A statement was read out condemning terrorist attacks in various parts of the world. 

"Terrorism is not Islam, terror has no religion or borders," the statement, read by a member of the community, said.

"The Muslim community affirms that terrorists are first and foremost the enemy of Islam as they abuse the Muslim faith and damage the reputation of Muslims.

The international community was urged to join hands against IS and all other terrorism while also increasing its efforts to end the suffering of the Palestinian and Syrian people. 

The Imam said the Muslim community was grateful to the Maltese people for its tolerance and solidarity. He expressed  gratitude to the prime minister and the leader of the opposition.

Replying to questions he said members of his community sometimes were the targets of insults by people who made generalizations, linking all Muslims to terrorism. Such generalizations, he said, harmed those who made them as well as Muslims.

Asked if there were extremist elements in Malta, he said there may be extremists, motivated by personal reasons, but they did not adhere to terrorism.

The Muslim community, he stressed, would immediately report any knowledge it could have on extremist elements who could consider terrorism.

(Whistles and cheering heard in video background is by students celebrating their graduation near by)