ISIS urges its French supporters to 'burn polling stations and murder candidates'
The terror group uses its magazine Rumiyah call on its members to carry out attacks on the day of the presidential elections in France on Sunday; 'Don't forget your duty as a Muslim. Choose a candidate to kill & polling station to burn,' states the magazine's article; A soldier in France is arrested after an ISIS flag and weapons are found in his car.
ISIS published an article in its magazine Rumiyah on Thursday, telling all Muslims who support it to carry out attacks in France on Sunday, when millions of French people are to vote for either centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, in the country's second round in the current presidential election.
"'Don't forget your duty as a Muslim. Choose a candidate to kill & polling station to burn," the magazine article states. ISIS supporters are urged to put their faith in Allah and rise up to act against them.
The article also says that in the current election, the question is not who of the "two devils" is worse. "They are idolaters," states the article, calling on its readers not to stand on the sidelines and wait, but destroy polling stations and have no pity for anyone who does not belong to their faith.
As Rumiyah's article began to circulate in several languages, it was reported that a soldier serving at a base north of Paris was arrested on suspicion that due to his views becoming more radical and extreme, he was planning on carrying out an attack on Election Day. Upon his arrest, an ISIS flag was found in his car, in addition to a letter in which he declares that he intends to carry out an attack and weapons and ammunition.
Meanwhile, the verbal sparring between both presidential candidates continued on Friday. After Le Pen, who is trailing far behind Macron in the polls, encountered 50 activists who shouted and threw eggs at her, the far-right candidate tweeted that "Macron's supporters are bringing violence with them to wherever they go."
In an interview with the radio RTL, Le Pen referred to the anger she displayed during her heated televised debate with Macron on Wednesday. "My words were just a mirror of the anger that has accumulated in France that may yet explode," she said.
In an interview to the same radio station, Macron did not hold back, responding that "Le Pen does not speak for anyone, she only spreads anger and hatred."
In a survey published on Friday, Macaron is predicted to win with 63 percent of the vote, compared to Le Pen's 37 percent. An earlier survey similarly found that Macron is set to receive 62 percent of the vote and Le Pen 38 percent. A third survey, however, found that about a quarter of French voters do not intend to go to the polls on Sunday.
According to the same poll, most of those planning not to vote are left-wing voters who were disappointed with the results of the first round, which had a 78 percent turnout. If such a low number of voters indeed shows up, it will be the lowest voter turnout since 1965.
