Press Release EN the Middle East
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EP pays tribute to victims of Paris terrorist attacks Plenary sessions [12-01-2015 - 20:15] “Violence with Kalashnikovs will not make us downgrade our European values”, promised Parliament President Martin Schulz, naming the 17 people killed in last week’s attacks on Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket. After a minute’s silence, Parliament’s political groups paid their tributes too. Several saw the outpouring of solidarity demonstrated by millions of citizens across Europe and worldwide as a renaissance and reaffirmation of Europe’s core values. “These 17 cartoonists, journalists, police officers, employees and ordinary Jewish citizens were killed because they represented things that fanatics cannot stand: criticism, humour, satire and free speech”, said Mr Schulz. ”We must not allow fear, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia or hatred to erode the values that define us: free speech and press freedom, tolerance and mutual respect”, he urged. Alain Lamassoure (EPP, FR) praised the millions of citizens who hit the streets in a "tsunami of humanity" as "a formidable cry of brotherhood by all Europe’s peoples, "11 January 2015 is the birthdate of a Europe of the people (...), united in its values and against hatred", he said, adding that "The first value of the universal rights pronounced by Europeans is peace and the duty to preserve peace by preserving differences, all Press release differences". "I say, as have millions of others across the planet, that we shall never give way ", declared Pervenche Berès (S&D, FR). "When a calamity strikes one of us, we shall not let anyone divide us. We are all Charlie, fallen without any god ever having commanded it. Our ideal is democracy. Let us defend it with a special Sakharov Prize to Charlie Hebdo", she suggested. Helga Stevens (ECR, BE) said "No matter what happens, our values will not change, because we believe in freedom of expression, in freedom of religion. Sorrow must strengthen our determination to challenge these attacks; it must bind us, because only if we work together we will prevail". Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE, BE) said: "Let us not forget that among the three police officers killed were a black woman, a Muslim and a native Frenchman. This bears witness to the fact that our societies are multicultural and our rule of law gives opportunities to all. Yet from Madrid to London and Paris, we must also acknowledge a failure. These terrorists were our children who were born here, raised here, and also died here." "France is in mourning, but stands firm against these executions of journalists, police officers, citizens as a united front, a barrier against barbarism”, said Patrick Le Hyaric (GUE/NGL). “We must work together to eradicate terrorism, (...) to solve the security- peace dialectic. We cannot sacrifice security on the altar of freedom, or freedom on the altar of security (...), neither can we leave so many neighbourhoods, so many young people and children abandoned." Michèle Rivasi (Greens/EFA, FR), said: "Our thoughts go out to the 17 victims, artists and journalists, police officers, Christians, Jews, , Atheists and Muslims. We must not fall into the traps laid for us by fanatics and demagogues. This is not a war of civilisations. Another trap to avoid is having our civil liberties buried under a security arsenal.”. Nigel Farage (EFDD, UK) criticised political leaders, especially for military interventions in the Middle East. "In fact, what we have done is to stir up very deep resentment within Press Service Directorate for the Media Director - Spokesperson : Jaume DUCH GUILLOT 1/3 EN Reference No:20150109IPR06302 Press switchboard number (32-2) 28 33000 Press release much of the Muslim community.. (...).We have allowed preachers of hate to go around saying things that are totally unacceptable. The result of all this is a Fifth Column living in our countries, utterly opposed to our values". Marine Le Pen (NA, FR), said “The first duty to the victims is to put a name on what killed them. It is not terrorism that killed them. Terrorism is a means to an end. It is Islamic fundamentalism that killed them. It kills around the world, it kills thousands of people. We must also be critical of ourselves. Is Europe able to protect us, the peoples of Europe, from the threat of Islamic fundamentalism?”. Victims of attacks on Charlie Hebdo,Jewish supermarket and police Philippe Braham Franck Brinsolaro Frédéric Boisseau Jean Cabut Elsa Cayat Stéphane Charbonnier Yohan Cohen Yoav Hattab Philippe Honoré Clarissa Jean-Philippe Bernard Maris Ahmed Merabet Mustapha Ourrad Michel Renaud François-Michel Saada Bernard Verlhac Georges Wolinski. Contact Michaela FINDEIS BXL: (+32) 2 28 31141 STR: (+33) 3 881 73603 PORT: (+32) 498 98 33 32 EMAIL: [email protected] Sara AHNBORG BXL: (+32) 2 28 34018 STR: (+33) 3 881 72420 PORT: (+32) 498 98 13 36 EMAIL: [email protected] 20150109IPR06302 - 2/3 Press release Federico DE GIROLAMO BXL: (+32) 2 28 31389 STR: (+33) 3 881 72850 PORT: (+32) 498 98 35 91 EMAIL: [email protected] Armin WISDORFF BXL: (+32) 2 28 40924 STR: (+33) 3 881 73780 PORT: +32 498 98 13 45 EMAIL: [email protected] 20150109IPR06302 - 3/3.