PEOPLE PAY TRIBUTE OUTSIDE LE CARILLON BAR, THE DAY AFTER A DEADLY ATTACK ON FRIDAY NIGHT IN PARIS.
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Sunday November 14, 2015 – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has strongly condemned the terrorist attacks against innocent civilians in Paris, while individual regional leaders have also taken a similar position.
CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, in a message of condolence, extended deepest sympathies to the relatives and friends of the 129 who lost their lives and wished a speedy recovery to the more than 350 who were injured in the attacks claimed by Islamic State (IS) militants.
The attacks hit a concert hall, a major sports stadium, restaurants and bars in the French capital on Friday.
Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller said in a statement yesterday that her country was “heartbroken that the cowardly acts of terror appeared to target the youth of the city of Paris and have, in the process, claimed the lives of over 120 innocent men, women and children and left numerous others wounded”.
“We reiterate our utter condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and renew our commitment to fighting this scourge in co-operation with the international community and in defence of the universal values of life, liberty and peace for which Jamaica stands as a nation,” she added.
The Guyana government said these acts are a reminder that there still exists among us, evil forces which use the cloak of a peace-loving religion as justification for their murderous agenda.
“The Government of Guyana recognizes Islam as a religion of peace and that the vast majority of Muslims lead peaceful and law-abiding lives . . . We reject those who use Islam or any other religion as a front to attack the people of any nation,” a statement from the David Granger administration said.
In addition to the expressions of shock, condemnation and condolences, the Bahamas government said it stood ready to work with its CARICOM allies and the international community to combat the problem of terrorism.
France is in three days of mourning for the dead. A special service for the families of those who were killed, the wounded, and the other survivors will be held at Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral today.