Statement by Liberal Party of Canada Leader Justin Trudeau on the Terror Attacks in France

January 9, 2015

INUVIK, NWT – Liberal Party of Canada Leader, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the terror attacks in France:

“This week, the world has been gripped by the horrific acts of terror in France, beginning with the attack on the French satirical newspaper, Charlie Hebdo.

“On behalf of the Liberal Party of Canada and our Parliamentary Caucus, I extend our thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families, and our support and condolences to the people of France as they grapple with these senseless acts of violence. Moreover, we offer our deep and sincere gratitude to the brave law enforcement personnel who have selflessly and courageously sought to bring an end to this terrorism.

“Those who carried out these attacks – like those who did so in Ottawa and St. Jean-sur-Richelieu – wanted to leave us with images of fear and chaos; they wanted us to believe that they are martyrs, and to strike fear into our hearts. We will not allow them to do so. They are criminals, and criminals do not dictate how we act as a nation, how we govern ourselves, or how we treat each other. They will not dictate our values. These individuals represent a perversion of Islam, and we must continue to work in mutual cooperation and respect with the Muslim community to prevent the influence of distorted ideology and propaganda masquerading as religion.

“As proud democracies, we are welcoming and peaceful: nations of fairness, justice, and the rule of law. We, and our allies, will not be intimidated into changing that by anybody. Instead, these are the very values and ideals upon which we must rely in the days ahead, and which must form the bedrock of our response.

“We will not allow these threats to define us. We will walk forward together, never apart.”