CNN anchors demand that the Muslim community not 'shirk' responsibility for Paris attacks

In a Sunday interview with Yaser Louati of the Collective Against Islamophobia in France, CNN anchors Isha Sesay and John Vause made a concerted effort to assign blame for the Paris attacks.

"What is the responsibility within the Muslim community to identify people within their own ranks when it comes to people who are obviously training and preparing to carry out mass murder?" Vause asked Louati.

Louati was quick to underscore the fact that the attackers "were not from our ranks" and that their "camp is the French one" — not the Muslim one. "Sir, the Muslim community has nothing to do with these guys," Louati said amid the anchors' persistent questioning. "Nothing. We cannot justify ourselves for the actions of someone who claims to be Muslim." He continued: "We cannot accept the idea that these people are from us, they are not. They are just byproducts of our societies exporting their wars abroad and expecting no repercussions back home."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The hosts still weren't on his page, and continued to insist that Louati "accept that responsibility to prevent the bigger backlash" because the "finger of blame is pointing at the Muslim community."

"It's coming from the community," Sesay insisted. "You've got to take a stand."

Watch the full exchange below. Becca Stanek