From the heinous attack against the Parisian satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo on 7 January 2015 to the extreme-right terrorist attack claiming 49 lives in Christchurch, New Zealand mosques on 15 March, radicalism kills, regardless of the ideology motivating it. Yet another extremist attack on religious minorities occurred on Saturday, 27 April, when a gunman in San Diego, California opened fire in a synagogue.
Our Federation fights tirelessly to defend human rights around the world. These rights have served as a compass guiding us since our founding in 1922.
Defeating the terrorist madness requires placing respect for human rights at the center of states’ and institutions’ responses. Eroding fundamental freedoms in the name of fighting terror is a disturbing trend in democratic societies.
In addition to our solidarity with the victims, we are ever-conscious of our duty to stay vigilant against security-motivated human rights abuses, which we document meticulously.
As we mourn together the loss of human life, is of utmost importance that human rights do not become another casualty.
We were Charlie. We were Christchurch. Today we are Colombo and San Diego.
We remain determined, as ever, to defend human rights for everyone, everywhere.