Muslims first victims of 'terrorism': French FM

“No one fights under the name of religion,” Fabius told journalists in Kuwait, the first Muslim country he has visited since last month’s deadly attack on French magazine Charlie Hebdo by gunmen.

When Kuwait and France fight “against terrorism, we fight those who are not only liars, but also killers,” he said. “Muslims have been the first victims of those terrorists.”

Fabius called for more solid international cooperation to rein out extremism saying that “this is a battle we should win.”

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled al-Sabah said Kuwait and France had “identical views on terrorism,” and reiterated Kuwait’s strong condemnation of the “brutal attacks in France,” a reference to Charlie Hebdo.

Sabah also warned that “terrorism is a threat for all of us,” and called for greater efforts to drain funding of radical groups and recruitment of fighters.

Fabius said France looks to Islam as a moderate religion and stressed that French authorities will apply the law firmly against any acts against Islam or Muslims.

The French chief diplomat was received by Kuwait’s emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, and other senior Kuwaiti officials.

Earlier in the day, he inaugurated part of the Al-Zour North Power Plant, 100 km (62 miles) south of Kuwait City, being built and managed by French company GDF Suez in an alliance with Japanese and Kuwaiti firms.