The Eiffel Tower is illuminated in the colours of the French flag, in honour of the victims of the attacks. Credit:Getty Ben Khalfallah, who was born and brought up to Muslim parents close to Amiens in the Somme area of northern France, describes himself as an atheist. He learned of the terrorist atrocities on Saturday morning, when he was in Sydney preparing for an A-League game. The news of the killings left him numb, although he was gratified to know that none of his family or friends were hurt or involved in the attacks. Ben Khalfallah's family are Tunisian migrants to France, his father having moved there to be a professional soccer player, and he was born in the small town of Perrone 33 years ago.

"I was in Sydney when I heard, I woke up, my wife called me and told me what happened. When you have people like that, what can you do. Nothing. The worst thing was that in France it was the second time in the one year," he said, referring to the Charlie Hebdo massacre of journalists by Islamist terrorists in January. "I spoke with my friends and family. They are shocked, very shocked. It's a scare, because now they know it can happen again and again, especially next year with the Euro championships. "A lot of people are scared, but you have to live ... you can't be scared ... if you have to stay at home it's not good. France is a strong country but to have two in one year, it's very, very sad." Ben Khalfallah says he is at a loss to understand the motivation behind such attacks.. "It's not just because it's my country. Everywhere something like that happens it's not normal. I can't understand people like that," he said.

"In France there are a lot of Muslims and different people from different cultures. The other people don't know the difference. They put all Muslims in the same [basket]. "If I was there now I would live, I would live because if you are scared to go out with your family, you don't have a life." Ben Khalfallah played a key role in Melbourne Victory's championship and premiership double last season and signed a new two-year deal to stay with the club. He is happier to be in Australia than anywhere else, he says. "When I came here and I saw life here honestly I prefer to live here, especially for my family and my daughter [Anna] ... life will be better for her here. "I am happier here. I know it can happen here, in Sydney last year it happened in a restaurant [the Lindt cafe siege]. But when I am here I feel more safe, more security.

"We know in France a lot of things happen. Every day in every year different things happen. "You have a lot of tourism places, a lot of monuments in France. They are always a target. Even if you want to go to the Eiffel Tower you have, I don't know how many people from the police or the army ... everywhere in France is like that. "It's life ... you have to be stronger than them, the stupid people."