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French Far Right Blames Islamic Radicals for Attack; Middle East Cartoonist Reacts to "Charlie Hebdo"; Manhunt for Paris Terror Attack Suspects; Increased Security at UK Borders; Middle East Reacts to Paris Attack; Former Charlie Hebdo Writer on Terror Attack; Aleppo Doctor Honors Syria's Fallen; Parting Shots: Remembering Charlie Hebdo Victims

Aired January 08, 2015 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): An intense manhunt underway right now in France, two coldblooded killers on the run for more than 24 hours

after killing 12 people in central Paris.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON (voice-over): Several new leads coming in, including a reported sighting at a gas station.

We are live in Paris for you.

Also ahead?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON (voice-over): France in mourning: the (INAUDIBLE) French journalist who knew some of the victims of Wednesday's massacre.

And Middle East reacts with commiseration, condemnation and cartoons. We sit down with one caricaturist to talk about the power of the pen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON (voice-over): At 8 o'clock here in the evening, it is a very good evening. It is day two of an intense manhunt in France, the gunmen behind a

massacre at the satirical magazine, "Charlie Hebdo," are still, as far as we know, on the run.

Two brothers, Cherif and Said Kouachi, have been identified as the main suspects in Wednesday's shootings that killed 12 people. Now they were

reportedly spotted today at a gas station in northern France, where they sought food and petrol. We're told the police have now set up checkpoints

surrounding that area.

Earlier today, near Paris, another deadly shooting; police are calling that a terror attack. A police officer handling a traffic accident was gunned

down. It's not clear if this shooting is related to Wednesday's attack.

Let's go straight to Paris now for the very latest. Senior international correspondent Jim Bittermann joining me -- Jim.

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Becky. Well, in fact, that manhunt is one of the most important things that's going on in France

today. However, there are other things happening here. There's a -- in fact, there's a third manhunt in -- because of the shooting that took place

down in Montrouge, which is on the southern edge of Paris.

Police are -- don?t seem to have as many leads for that one. They are classifying it as a terrorist attack, basically two police officers,

including a city police officer, were directing traffic around a traffic accident, rather common traffic accident, when a gunman got out of the car

and shot at them and one of the policemen -- policewoman was shot and killed. And a city employee was wounded in that attack.

Police, for a while, thought they may have tracked down the gunman and surrounded an apartment building, brought up the SWAT teams and an armored

car. But in fact, by about noon or so, they decided that was not -- that they hadn't -- they had not tracked the gunman down.

So there's actually a third person being hunted as well as the two who were responsible for the attack here at "Charlie Hebdo."

Here at the -- this location, all day long, there have been a steady stream of people coming here to pay homage to those that were killed here

yesterday. And right here just now, here we're seeing a sign of some religious unity. We have an imam from Granstee (ph), which is a northern

suburb of Paris and an imam who's been quite outspoken, quote moderate in his message to fellow Muslims.

Standing side-by-side with Mayor Caulter (ph), who's a fairly well-known Jewish philosopher here, and the two of them are about ready to go and do

an interview here, I think, on another competing station.

But in any case, the -- it's the kind of thing we've been seeing all day long, a lot of appeal for unity from the government and a lot of signs of

unity from those on the streets here -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Jim, clearly this attack meant to terrorize a community.

Hasn't kept people, as you rightly suggest, with those behind you, from joining together in support. We are waiting on more from the French

President Francois Hollande, who is meeting with leaders of the two houses of parliament, we'll be monitoring that. And as soon as he speaks, we will

get that for our viewers.

What might we expect him to say at this point? One assumes he'll update us on the investigation.

But given that that investigation is ongoing, these two are on the run, what can we expect?

BITTERMANN: Well, I think he's going to, once again, make an appeal for unity, but I also think that he has to show and make a good show of the

fact that they're doing something here, and make sure that he's indicating that, in fact, the security situation is being taken care of.

So I think we'll hear a good deal about the kind of things that they have been doing and I also think we'll hear a little bit about his reactions

today to the kind of emotional outpourings that we've seen all day long, including that minute of silence at noontime and the other things that have

been taking place during the day. There have been a number of very emotional things today.

One of the more emotional things I heard was the brother of the personal guard of Charb, the -- who was killed in the attack here, the brother who's

also a policeman said, look, policeman are often understood and misunderstood; but in fact, they're willing to lay their lives on the line,

as my brother did, to protect the values of France.

And I think that's the kind of thing we've been hearing a lot of today. Another very interesting thing I heard, Becky, was a tweet that was filed

some time ago, but a tweet in which somebody said, you know, these gunmen, they tried to kill "Charlie Hebdo"; in fact, they've made it immortal --

Becky.

ANDERSON: Jim Bittermann in Paris for you, Jim, thank you.

Condemnation of the Paris terror attack extending, as you would expect, right here to the heart of the Middle East. Political leaders who have

vowed to stamp out extremism are publicly denouncing the shootings loudly.

But in this part of the world, definitions of extremism do vary significantly, depending on who you speak to. And (INAUDIBLE) to a certain

extent being put under the microscope.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON (voice-over): Bloodshed and horror in the heart of the French capital, shock and condemnation across the Middle East, from Tunis to

Tehran. Political leaders and activists were quick to denounce another barbaric act committed in the name of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.

And in a region already dealing with the challenge of radical Islam, the attacks in France are fueling a fire that has been burning for some time

now. Egypt was one of the first Arab countries to condemn the killings. But just days beforehand, its president had already demanded that Islam look

within itself.

ABDEL FATTAH EL-SISI, EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I say and repeat again that we are in need of a religious revolution.

(APPLAUSE)

SISI (through translator): You imams are responsible before Allah. The entire world is waiting for you. The entire world is waiting for your word

because the Islamic world is being torn. It is being destroyed, it is being lost -- and it is being lost by our own hands.

ANDERSON (voice-over): Each of this region's leaders has his own motivations and methods for fighting extremism and his own interpretations

of what extremism is. But away from the Middle East's corridors of power, events in the French capital have reignited soul-searching amongst a wider

Arab Muslim population.

This tweet went viral just hours after the attack. It reads, "The dear Muslims must speak up against terrorism crowd. We do constantly and loudly.

You don't listen. FYI most terrorism victims are Muslims."

Another tweet calling out Arab regimes that have denounced the attacks but still prevent free expression in their own countries.

Once again highlighting the belief of many people in the region that it's been mostly Muslims caught up in the wave of extremist violence.

Sherif Arafa is an Egyptian cartoonist who challenges radical Islam in his sketches. He says extremists who take it upon themselves to slaughter in

the name of Islam are causing an identity crisis for the region.

SHERIF ARAFA, CARTOONIST: Many people are suffering from identity crisis because of -- they have a heritage of some values and they are living in a

modern age and there is another reality. So it's not easy for them to fit. Some people struggle to find a way to rationalize what's going on inside

them.

ANDERSON (voice-over): As another attack casts Islam in a negative light, huge swaths of the Arab world appear to be standing in solidarity,

determined to keep the faith or, at the very least, their own understandings of what that faith stands for.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: I'm joined by a regular contributor, Faisal Al Yafai, who's chief columnist with "The National" newspaper here in Abu Dhabi. And I don't

think anybody should be surprised by the condemnation that you've heard from government around this region and, indeed, by the regular man and

woman on the street. It was very, very swift, I have to say.

FAISAL AL YAFAI, "THE NATIONAL": Yes. I mean, nobody knows better than the Middle East this form of Islamist violence. The day before the massacre at

"Charlie Hebdo," we had a terror attack in Yemen just on the other side of the peninsula, 30 people blown to pieces by Al Qaeda.

So this is something that the Middle East knows very well, indeed, as you say, and the report, the majority of Muslims, the majority of victims have

been Muslim.

ANDERSON: I was interested to see a hashtag that went viral, but everybody around the world will probably be aware of now, #JeSuisCharlie in support

of the cartoonists and the editorial staff at the magazine.

Today I noticed a hashtag that also got trending and it was #JeNeSuisPasCharlie. Those who were using were not suggesting that they

didn't condemn the attack; they did. But they said that they didn't agree with much of what that magazine even said.

YAFAI: Yes. I think it is perfectly reasonable for some people to condemn the killing but then not want to condone the cartoons. But I think we

should make a point about this, and make it very clearly.

Those people who say that the magazine in any way provoked this response do not understand the nature of Islamist terror. We have this problem in the

Middle East with ISIL. Yes, it may be the case that at the top of their hit list are the provocateurs, but further down that list come the modern

moderate majority Muslims.

So every person is under threat by this, even if at the very top it is the provocateurs.

ANDERSON: I want to -- you and I will continue to speak this hour. But just before you go, there are those who will -- and we suggested this earlier on

-- there are varying degrees of what people believe to be extreme, varying degrees of definition in this region.

There will be people who don't entirely agree with you and also will go on to say that they see governments in this region and perhaps Egypt might be

one of them that people allege might use the cloak of the rise of political Islam for legitimizing crackdowns on security.

Now that's not what I say; that's what I've heard talked about in this region.

Would you buy that?

YAFAI: I wonder if those people don't fully understand the threat that stable governments in the region see from the rise of political Islam.

Egypt is a good example of this. They had a year of political Islam and a year of Mohammed Morsy being the president, and look what happened in the

attempt to room change the constitution so that he could remain in power indefinitely and attempt to change the nature of Egyptian society.

I think that sometimes from the outside there is a sense that political Islam is the savior from the inside we recognize that it is a problem of

stability.

ANDERSON: And allegations, of course, of human rights abuses by those who might have supported the Morsi regime as it left power and LCC, of course,

took it.

I want to talk more about Egypt, about this region, about the rise of political Islam and how people, to a certain extent I fear have a sort of a

burgeoning sense of identity crisis, something we talked about in that report and something I know that you've got (INAUDIBLE) for the time being.

Thank you very much indeed.

Still to come this evening, we are seeing the signs, "Je suis Charlie." Now there is also #JeSuisAhmed trending on Twitter. France's Muslim community

are speaking out after the attack. More on that when we come back.

And cartoons or cartoonists around the world are also taking a stand. We sit down with a permanent Middle East cartoonist. That in about 15 minutes.

This is CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson, stay with us.

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ANDERSON: You're watching CNN. This is CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson, in the UAE. Welcome back. Two men still on the run, it seems, in

France; 12 dead from yesterday's massacre. It is a somber day across France, as people try to come to grips with the terror that raged in the

heart of their capital.

Across the country, a moment of silence observed at noon and flowers being laid at a makeshift memorial in Paris for the victims, the hashtag

#JeSuisCharlie has been trending on Twitter worldwide in a show of solidarity with the magazine, "Charlie Hebdo" and the cartoonists who were

killed.

The hashtag #JeSuisAhmed is also being used. It refers to one of the French police officers who was killed in the attack, Ahmed, a popular Muslim name.

Here are some of those tweets. This man says, "I am not Charlie; I am Ahmed, the dead cop. Charlie ridiculed my faith and culture and I died

defending his right to do so."

Another user says, "Ahmed Merabet protected people. He was the true face of modern Islam. His murderers were not."

Another Muslim name, Mustapha, also appeared in a list of victims published by France's "Le Monde" newspaper. Mustapha was one of the staff at "Charlie

Hebdo."

Well, France has the largest Muslim minority in Western Europe. And the attack prompted widespread condemnation across that community, Muslim

groups urging imams to strongly denounce the attack during Friday prayers tomorrow.

Meanwhile, France's Far Right is taking the opportunity to push their agenda, it seems. (INAUDIBLE) Front National or National Front Party Marine

Le Pen has already blamed Islamic radicals and is calling for a reinstatement of the death penalty.

For more on this, Simon Kuper joins us from Paris. He's a columnist for the "Financial Times."

Thanks for joining us. Will this shooting, do you think, be ammunition for the Far Right?

SIMON KUPER, "FINANCIAL TIMES": They hope so. I'm not sure. President Hollande has benefited in a way also because there's been a national

rallying-round. I mean, it's time of great sadness in France, in Paris, and people look to the president, who's the head of state, to give a lead. And

Hollande has stepped up in a way that he hasn't really much of the time when dealing with economic issues.

So you could say it's given him a boost right now as much as it has the Far Right.

ANDERSON: Let's talk about the integration of the movement community in France. How would you describe that or characterize that?

KUPER: Well, for a start, I wouldn?t say that there is a Muslim community in the sense that Muslims have come from all over the world from Tunisia,

from Senegal, from Morocco, from everywhere. And in Paris and other parts of France, but most Muslims live in the Paris region, people often live

very integrated lives. They go to state schools; they meet people of other religions. Often they marry them; they have children with them. In local

newspapers you see the times of the church services but also of mosque services. So I think that a big city like Greater Paris is a kind of web of

connections, of people of all sorts of different ethnicities.

Yes, there are problems in the suburbs which relate to people of all immigrant backgrounds, who live in poverty, who are discriminated against,

many of whom are angry. But we must remember that the number of French jihadist has been counted maybe 2,000 have been involved in the wars in

Iraq and Syria and now this attack; whereas there's probably about 5 million Muslims in France.

So most of them live quite integrated lives, where their main concern is a job, an apartment, a good school for the children.

ANDERSON: There have been other attacks on Muslims; this one particularly heinous, of course -- sorry -- on Muslims in the past. The attack that we

saw yesterday not clearly an attack on a Muslim community, but clearly the policeman, for example, who has a Muslim name caught up in that.

I wonder whether you would suggest that there is a rise in Islamophobia in France.

KUPER: Certainly Muslims have been targeted by the Front National, the Far Right party. The Far Right used to be chiefly anti-Semitic in the time of

Jean-Marie Le Pen. But his daughter, Marine Le Pen, has attacked mostly Muslims and Roma. So yes, Muslims have been having a very hard time in that

way in France. And Front National will try and use this attack.

But as you said, one of the policemen killed, seen begging for his life on video then shot dead was a Muslim, a man with first name Ahmed; one of the

journalists at "Charlie Hebdo" killed, first name Mustapha, a copy editor there. I mean, these are two of the nominal Muslims or religious Muslims or

otherwise in the Greater Paris region, two of millions who are trying to live ordinary lives.

So I think that has been quite well publicized in France these last 24 hours. But these jihadists are the exception of the rule.

ANDERSON: So I wonder then how well supported you think Marine Le Pen will be in what appears to be or could be this sort of political land grab at

this point?

KUPER: Well, Marine Le Pen has been expected to do very well in regional elections this spring. There's great disillusionment with the Socialist

Party, the ruling party. And Marine Le Pen has even been hoping that she could be a credible presidential candidate in 2017. That may be pushing it.

But certainly this is the Far Right in France. This is their best political opportunity ever. They've always been a marginal party. This is their best

chance ever to be a big mainstream party. I don't think they'll pull it off. But this is their moment.

ANDERSON: Simon Kuper in Paris for you today, Simon, thank you.

Live from Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Coming up, cartoonists around the world responding to the deaths of four of

their own. We speak with a leading satirist from the Muslim world up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: The bells ringing out for the victims of the terror attack in Paris, a somber scene in central Paris today, a moment of silence in front

of the Notre Dame Cathedral, one of many similar scenes across France and Europe.

You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD live from Abu Dhabi with me, Becky Anderson. Welcome back to our ongoing coverage of what is the manhunt for

the suspects in the Paris terror attack. Two, it seems, still on the run after 12 kills Wednesday.

There has been plenty of reaction from cartoonists around the world in response to the attack on the "Charlie Hebdo" offices. And that includes

those from here in the Middle East. Have a look at this posted on Twitter by Khalid Albaih, Qatar-based Sudanese cartoonist.

"Sad cartoony (ph)," says playing on the name of the Sudanese capital. A Muslim man seemingly stuck between a terrorist accusing him of aligning

with infidels on the one hand and with the world on the other, accusing him of being a terrorist simply for being a Muslim.

And this one from Carlos Latuff, a Brazilian artist, who extensively covers the Middle East. His drawing signals the idea that the attack on the Paris

offices of the satirical magazine was an attack by the very terrorists themselves on Islam with their shots hitting a mosque behind the offices

there depicted.

Earlier I met with Sherif Arafa. He's an Egyptian cartoonist.

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ARAFA (voice-over): When I saw the news, I almost cried. It was very sad because I believe that I'm in the same position as them. I'm a professional

cartoonist and they are professional cartoonists. I do believe that everyone has the freedom to say what he wants to say. I don't agree what --

when -- with them and what you are -- they are saying, but I totally understand what they are doing. They are crossing the red lines; this is

their cause and they have the freedom to do whatever they want.

ANDERSON: You understood the position of the cartoonists that "Charlie Hebdo" did. Did much of their work offend you?

ARAFA: Of course I was offended, but this doesn?t mean that I have to kill anyone or harm anyone. It's a cartoon, for God's sake. They drew something.

It's an end corner papers (ph), so you have to tell them it's wrong. You just draw something back, boycott the newspaper. It's anything like this,

you have many options to do rather than killing or doing something like this. This is ugly. It does -- this doesn't belong to our age. This is

medieval age.

ANDERSON: (INAUDIBLE) some of your cartoons.

ARAFA: Well, this cartoon says that some people still preach the old teachings, which has been written hundreds of years ago. And still believe

that it's valid anytime, anywhere and there is no need to renew our understanding or interpretation to the religious texts.

And this is the reason of what we are facing today.

This is about the opinion of the other opinion in ISIS TV. This is the way they are dealing with the other opinion.

This is extremism. This is the mentality of extremists, simply.

ANDERSON: Does what happened in Paris worry you?

Does it make you think, boy, should I carry on?

ARAFA: It made me stronger. It made me angrier, you know. And all my pages on the social media I wrote "Je Suis Charlie" directly. I said everything I

couldn't say before, that I support freedom of speech. They didn't do something wrong. If some preach still you -- that you have to kill, then

they are wrong.

ANDERSON: This is the cartoon that you have developed on the back of the Paris attack.

ARAFA: Today, I did it today. The image itself is shocking. I chose this image because it's shocking and I know it will be something like the

attacks of 9/11, so I tried to say -- to demonize them, they are devils.

These people who are masked but I pictured them as black devils, evil.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: The latest world news headlines are just ahead. Lots of police activity happening right now in Northern France as a massive manhunt

continues for two terror suspects. Stay with us.

Plus a doctor using art to commemorate those who have lost their lives in Syria's civil war. That and much more after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: This is CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. The top stories for you this hour.

And there has been increased political activity in one area of northern France, where the Charlie Hebdo massacre suspects were reportedly

seen earlier today. The two are said to have robbed a gas station there. Police have set up checkpoints surrounding that area.

Near Paris, the fatal shooting of a police officer on Thursday is being called another terror attack. A female officer was gunned down while

handling a traffic accident. It's not clear if this shooting is related to Wednesday's massacre at the satirical magazine.

Earlier, crowds gathered in Paris for a moment of silence to honor the twelve people killed in Wednesday's attack.

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ANDERSON: The bells of Notre Dame Cathedral tolled across the city on what has been declared a national day of mourning.

And news just coming into CNN: the French prime minister has just raised the country's security system to the highest level across Picardy,

which is a region of northern France. That according to his office. And as we get more on that, we will bring it to you.

The best lead in the manhunt right now may be that gas station I just talked about, a gas station sighting in northern France. CNN's Atika

Shubert has been in the area, watching the police activity there, and she joins me now, live from Longpont in northern France. Atika, what can you

tell us at this point?

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're actually just off the N2 highway about four kilometers north of Longpont. I don't

know if you can see, but across the highway there, there's actually flashing lights of police. And this is where we've seen the heaviest

police presence.

Now, we don't know exactly what is happening near the village of Longpont, but what we do know is that helicopters have been circling the

area. We've seen a number of police tactical units coming back and forth here. And earlier, heavily-armed police -- SWAT teams, really -- going

down that country road towards the village.

Now, just to give you a sense of the area, this is a very rural area of northern France. There's farmhouses, open fields. But also, a forest

here, a quite large forest, several thousand hectares. So, it's a very heavily-wooded areas that can be very difficult to search. If they are

looking for those two suspects there, it's going to take them quite a long time.

Now, we have had no details from French police as of yet, no confirmation, but that does appear to be what they're doing, searching for

the two suspects in this area.

You mentioned that gas station. That's about 12 kilometers that way. And we were there earlier, a few hours ago, and that's where we saw a

number of police, including a forensics van, just outside there, taking pictures, and what appeared to be looking through CCTV video near the cash

register of that shop.

That gas station, of course, is the last place those two suspects were sighted at around 10:30 in the morning when they held up a gas attendant

with weapons and then got the food they needed and then headed off in the direction of Paris, according to the gas attendant, who then immediately

phoned up the police, because he recognized the two suspects.

That's where we are in the state of this manhunt, but things could change very quickly, so we're trying to keep on top of the situation as

best we can, Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes. And for those of us who've just joined us, and I know that you'll have just got this information as I did just a few minutes ago,

the French prime minister's office now confirming that they have raised to the highest level the security system in where you are, which is the

Picardy region of northern France.

So clearly, the investigation ongoing, as Atika suggested, and an awful lot of activity around where she is. Atika, we'll let you go, and

we'll have you back, of course, as and when you can get more on what is going on.

Well -- excuse me -- just across the Channel, there has been an outpouring of support. Members of the Metropolitan Police Service, for

example, observed a moment of silence today at Scotland Yard in London, honoring those who were killed.

In the light of the attack, Britain also reevaluating its security. An emergency meeting of Britain's security committee, which is known COBRA,

was held earlier today. The UK now increasing security at its borders.

The terror level there does remain at severe, unchanged since that attack. CNN's Max Foster is in London for us with the very latest. What

else came out of that COBRA meeting, if anything, Max?

MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they were looking at the UK's preparedness in light of this attack, and this is what we're

seeing at the moment. They did a similar thing after Sydney, as well. They're looking at what happened in Sydney, for example, is a lone wolf.

What happens if that sort of thing happens in the UK?

So, they're doing the same thing with Paris. They're looking at this very sophisticated military-style operation, homegrown terrorists. They

were, in all intents and purposes, French citizens. What if something like that happened with a British homegrown terrorist? How would we respond?

And as a result of that, as you say, they didn't increase the terror threat level, but what they did do is increase the presence of security

guarding Nord, for example, in Paris where passengers get on trains to come to the UK. Also at the ports in Dover and on the French side as well to

make sure -- to give a message, really, of security.

But they haven't detected a direct threat. Unlike Spain, for example, where they have heightened the general terror threat level. So, I think

countries around Europe, they're working very closely together as well, as with in Downing Street, with Angela Merkel and David Cameron yesterday, and

they are sharing intelligence on this.

They fell that this is very close to home, and it's not just a threat to France, it's a threat to Europe. And it could easily have happened in

Berlin or in London as it could have done in Paris.

ANDERSON: Yes. Max is in London for you. Thanks, Max. Let's bring back in our regular contributor, Faisal Al Yafai, chief columnist with "The

National" newspaper here in Abu Dhabi. And as Max suggests, fears that this sort of attack could have happened anywhere in Europe. Clearly in

this part of the world, there are fears that a similar sort of attack could happen here at any time.

And it is governments like the UAE, like Saudi, like Egypt, other governments across the GCC, who fear this rise of political Islam and are

making every effort, both vocally and sort of on the ground, joining the coalition of the willing in the air in order to try and clamp down on

extremist violence.

FAISAL AL YAFAI, CHIEF COLUMNIST, "THE NATIONAL": Well, this is really a battle that the Middle East, as I said earlier, knows very well.

And it's a battle that they are increasingly engaged in. ISIL, of course, has been the catalyst for this, this astonishing attempt to carve out a

state out of two nation-states and destabilizing both Syria and Iraq in the process. So, it's something that the Middle East is getting very heavily

involved in, as you see.

ANDERSON: President el-Sisi of Egypt just a couple of days before this heinous attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices, at a very significant

place on a very significant day, effectively making a call to arms, talking about a -- the need for a religious revolution here. Just explain what we

heard from the president.

AL YAFAI: Yes. Well, you and I have spoken about this need to get more involved, and the GCC has felt the need, as you say, to send planes

into the air over Syria. There's also a feeling that there needs to be a more cohesive religious doctrine, a more cohesive religious ideology to

push back against this heinous narrative.

And I think that is what President el-Sisi was speaking to, talking to this gathering of imams in Cairo, saying to them that we need you to push

this counter-narrative. You see the same thing happening in the UAE as well.

ANDERSON: On the anniversary, of course, of the Prophet Mohammed, that speech is made by el-Sisi. I feel a burgeoning sense of identity

crisis from some or many of those that I speak to across this region here in the Middle East, people -- and I'm talking millennials, youngsters. I

would like to put you and I in that category.

But those who say we are liberal, we are secular, we are Muslim. We are not necessarily observant, as our parents might have been, but we are

believers. We buy moderate political Islam, but we don't buy extremist violence. Do you get that sense, too, that there is this identity crisis

that at some point needs to be dealt with, I guess?

AL YAFAI: Look. The vast majority of the Middle East is young, under 30. Almost 40, 50 percent of the population in some countries, a huge,

huge number. It is these people who have had to listen to their fathers and the old generation talk about Islam, and I think they are now coming

into their own.

You see them on Twitter, you've discussed the hash tags on Twitter. They are becoming more vocal and saying we want to reclaim this faith that

they believe very strongly in, and they don't like these extremist voices dominating the conversation.

ANDERSON: Fascinating. Faisal, always a pleasure. Thanks for joining us today.

A writer for Charlie Hebdo says the next edition of the satirical magazine will be published next week despite Wednesday's massacre. He told

CNN affiliate BFMTV, quote, "We can't let them win."

Joining me now is a journalist and author who previously worked for the magazine. She is with us live via Skype. Thank you for joining us

from Nice in France. You worked, I know, at Charlie Hebdo from 2008 to 2010. You were a freelance journalist specializing in the investigation

unit there. You knew many of of those who lost their lives on Wednesday. Just your thoughts at this point.

HELENE CONSTANTY, JOURNALIST: Yes. My first thought, of course, is to my friends and just to say that even if sometimes their caricatures and

drawings can be shocking to some people, all those who died yesterday were very tolerant, very generous, very kind people. And their -- all their

lives they fight for unity, for freedom of speech, for tolerance. So, I hope that is what will remain afterwards.

And that's what you could feel yesterday in the streets of all the cities in France, people gathering to say, "Je suis Charlie." "Je suis

Charlie," that means I want to be like them, I want to be tolerant and open and keep this free speech that's very important for us.

ANDERSON: Just for transparency purposes, we've certainly seen -- and you're absolutely right, I think that's been retweeted or used, that hash

tag, some 2.5 million times around the world. We've also seen a hash tag that has been trending which is "Je ne suis pas Charlie," "I am not

Charlie." And that may be trending more in the region that I am in.

By no means am I suggesting those using that hash tag agree with what happened yesterday. They condemn the attack. But they're also expressing

concern about the sort of content that had been published in that magazine in the past.

I know that you probably will tell me that Charlie Hebdo represented one of the most important values in France, that being freedom of speech.

But do you understand the concerns, fears, and anger that some people might express in other parts of the world for the content that some people were

publishing in that magazine?

CONSTANTY: I hear what you say, but that's impossible for me to agree with, because this -- sometimes, as a woman, as a Catholic, too, I was

shocked. I was sometimes disgusted by what I could see in the publication.

But that's part of the game, and for me, it's very important that everyone can express every opinion. Even if we are shocked, even if we do

not agree, we need to keep that.

ANDERSON: Thank you for joining us, Helene.

Live from Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Coming up, an underground tribute to those killed in Syria's

civil war. Just away from France for you for a moment. We're going to meet a doctor who treats the wounded and paints pictures to honor the dead.

His story is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: This is CNN and -- excuse me -- CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Welcome back. At this hour, the manhunt for two Paris

terror suspects continues. As Atika Shubert just reported live from the scene, there is a heavy police presence outside the village of Longpont in

northern France.

Well, that is some 12 kilometers from a gas station where the brothers suspected in the attack were reportedly last seen. Those are the images of

those two men on the right-hand side of your screen. So, an attendant says Sharif Kouachi and Said stole gas and food. Police have set up checkpoints

across the area.

And despite Wednesday's attack the magazine will go on. The next issue of Charlie Hebdo will be published next Wednesday, we are told, on

schedule.

Away from France. Nearly four years into Syria's civil war, the fighting has come with a staggering cost of human life. One doctor in

Aleppo paints pictures to honor the dead. In the third of installment of what is a CNN special series, Nick Paton Walsh takes us underground to a

bunker that is part hospital, part shrine. The images in this report were captured by the Brazilian photographer Gabrielle Lachaine (ph).

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To honor Aleppo's dead amid the ferocity of the bombing, you often have to

go underground. Leading us into his cave is Mustafa Boshnak (ph). A doctor, he also commemorates those who were not saved in this, an artist's

studio for Aleppo's dead.

"This cave, maybe we can call it a shelter," he says, "we drilled to protect ourselves from warplanes and barrel bombs. It's a safe place,

where I treat patients and draw pictures of the martyrs. Children also sleep here during the shelling."

In the dark here, Aleppo's dead come to life again for him in art from the borders of human reason. "This is an ambulance," he says, "and this

drawing is for a friend who worked in a field hospital, Mohammed Akrah (ph). He worked in an ambulance and died in the university. He was a

doctor, but also fought against the regime."

The camera here symbolizes Mohammed Said, a media activist killed by ISIS, the flowers springing from his blood. Fierce clashes between rebels

once kept him down here for 45 days straight. Nothing down here but the dark, fraught echoes in his mind of those gone, and children seeking to

stay alive.

He excuses himself, saying a patient has come who needs treating. Days and nights cloaked in trauma. He returns to show us his house, once

his hospital, but burned by the regime army. Here, the doctor's certificate the regime once gave him. "Bashar al-Assad gives me a

certificate at university and burns my house," he says. "Damn his honor, if he has any."

From his balcony, he once painted happier scenes. "I'm not afraid for myself. I'm afraid for the women and children," he says. "A lot of

children were killed. We saw their brains melting. I saw body parts of women, body parts mixed up. We have nothing left to be afraid of in Syria.

It is completely destroyed. There is nothing called Syria left. I'm just afraid for the women and children."

The pictures are piling up. In each one, hope that in the future, Syrians will remember who died. But in each one, too, some hatred for the

regime and ISIS, and the violence that will soon send him down to the cave again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Nick Paton Walsh, joining me now from where he is tonight in Beirut. And Nick, that a man who is occupied with casualties on a

regular basis, and the report reflecting that. What is the scope of casualty in Aleppo today?

WALSH: Well, all the front lines there have been in a stalemate in many ways. Still a bloody one, but they haven't changed. It's the aerial

bombardment by the regime. Shelling, barrel bombs -- crude, homemade devices dropped on civilian areas, often at random, that cause a

devastating toll.

Now, according to one observer human rights group, about ten people died in Aleppo every day last year from that aerial bombardment. They said

that of the 6,500 who died nationwide from regime bombardment, half of them are due to Aleppo alone.

So, a quite staggering death toll, equivalent, in fact, to man of the wars that happened in all of last year around different parts of the world.

Quite shocking in its scale. And you see there exactly how that emotional trauma piles up on one man, Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes. Nick Paton Walsh reporting. Nick, thank you. Our series wrapping up tomorrow with a look at how the battle for Aleppo is

being fought on two fronts. It was hard enough for rebels to face the Assad regime. Now they face ISIS as well.

Nick brings us the rebels' determination to fight against what they see as a perversion of the faith. Again, seen through the lens of the

Brazilian photographer, Gabrielle Lachaine.

Then tune in Saturday for a special report, "ISIS: Battlefield Aleppo." That airs at 6:00 PM in Abu Dhabi. You'll work out locally at

what time that will be where you're watching in the world.

Live from the UAE, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. At 52 minutes past 8:00, the latest from France, where police are hoping

they are getting closer to capturing the two men behind the Charlie Hebdo massacre.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CROWD CHANTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: And a day after the horror at the magazine building, we'll take a look at how the victims are being remembered.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: This is CNN and CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson at about 55 minutes past the hour. At this hour, the manhunt for two Paris

terror suspects continues. Our correspondent on the scene has seen a large police presence outside the village of Longpont in northern France.

That's some 12 kilometers from a gas station where the brothers who are suspected in Wednesday's terror attack in Paris were reportedly last

seen.

Well, the team here on the show always wants to hear from you, of course, facebook.com/CNNconnect, you can always have your say. Tweet me

@BeckyCNN. A lot of your comments coming in over the past 24 hours about what we've seen in Paris.

The shocking nature of what happened in Paris on Wednesday morning has impacted people around the world. And many who cherish freedom of speech

have taken to the streets en masse to remember the victims of the Charlie Hebdo attack.

In tonight's Parting Shots, we want to leave you with some of those tributes. From the team here in the UAE, it is a very good evening.

(VIDEO CLIP)

END