STUDENTS and staff from Haslemere’s Jamia Ahmadyya religious college condemned in the strongest possible terms, last Friday’s terrorist attacks by Islamic State, in which 129 people died in Paris.

The world head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, who opened the school in Hindhad Road, in 2012, said: “Our sympathies and prayers are with the victims of these attacks and all those who have been left bereaved or affected in any way.

“All forms of terrorism and extremism are completely against the true teachings of Islam.”

College teacher and Imam Atta ul Moman Zahid told The Herald: “We are all appalled by the attacks. The brutal killing of so many people in cold blood cannot be justified by any race or creed. The college strongly support its spiritual leader’s words.”

Its students were congratulated by Michael Barnes, The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal organiser for Haslemere, for raising an impressive £300 towards what promises to be a record total this year.

This was the first year the college had collected for the Poppy Appeal and 16 students took it in turns to swell their fundraising total by collecting outside Tesco in the town.

Haslemere joined the rest of the UK in observing a minute’s silence to remember the fallen in France, at 11am, on Monday.

The town council flew the French flag at half-mast and councillors and residents gathered at the war memorial in the High Street for a ceremony led by mayor Melanie Odell, who read out the names of the 26 victims who had been officially identified that morning.

“Last week we gathered here to remember those who fell in two World Wars,” she said. “We are standing here today to remember not only those who lost their lives in the atrocities in Paris last Friday, but also in Beirut the day before. Around 200 souls were lost.”