As jubilation swept France Wednesday, December 22, after the release of the two French journalists held hostage for four months in Iraq, French media highlighted the great role played the Muslim community and leading scholars across the Arab and Muslim worlds for bringing a smile to French faces. A plethora of newspapers of different leanings gave prominence for the pivotal role played by the leaders of the sizable Muslim community in France in helping release Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot.

They thanked in particular Lhaj Thami Breze, the president of the Union of French Islamic Organizations (UOIF), and Dalil Boubakeur, chairman of the French Council for the Muslim Religion (CFCM), for their September visit to Iraq and their heartfelt feelings for their fellow citizens.

Liberation daily wrote that the efforts of the French diplomacy paid off, thanks to the full backing of the Muslim community and Islamic movements in the Middle East, chiefly Hamas, Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Le Figaro, for its part, called the Muslim role "decisive" in releasing the two reporters, saying it was indeed grateful to Muslims for their painstaking efforts.

"All Muslims, radical or moderate, spoke with one voice to resolve this crisis," said the paper.