How France sees Muslims: Very positively

France is mourning the death of 12 people after three suspected Islamist extremists attacked the Paris offices of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.

The paper's editor and cartoonists were all killed in the attack, believed to be in response to its historical publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohamed.

French president Francois Hollande condemned the shooting as an "act of indescribable barbarity".

Joining the condemnation was France's Muslim community. Imam Hassen Chalghoumi of the Drancy mosque in northern Paris arrived at the scene of the attack yesterday to say: "I am extremely angry. These are criminals, barbarians. They have sold their soul to hell. This is not freedom. This is not Islam and I hope the French will come out united at the end of this."

The Union des Organisations Islamiques de France (UOIF), which represents more than 250 Muslim organisations across France, added in a statement: "The UOIF condemns, in the strongest possible terms, this criminal attack and these horrible murders and offers its condolences to the families as well as the employees of Charlie Hebdo."

Writing in the Independent, author Jonathan Fenby said even before the shootings, France was gripped by a steady rise in ethnic and religious tension.

But research carried out last year suggests people in France have among the most positive view of Muslims.

This Statista chart is based on Pew Research data collated last May.

From the Independent: [Germany's anti-Islamic movement sparks furious right-wing power struggle]5

More: [Charlie Hebdo attack latest - What we do and do not know]6