The leaders of the European Union and Canada defended freedom of expression Thursday (October 29th) and said they were determined to fight those who want to endanger it, after a summit by video conference.
Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau and the presidents of European institutions have condemned the terrorist attack in Nice, France.
Read also: Turkey rebels over a caricature mocking Erdogan on one of
Charlie Hebdo
"
Freedom of thought and freedom of expression are fundamental for our democracies and our freedoms and we must fight those who want to endanger them
", said the President of the European Council Charles Michel, in response to a question on the cartoons published by the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.
"
We must be careful to foster mutual understanding and respect for each other, but we must remain determined to defend our values,
" he added.
“
We have to be clear.
We will never accept the violence behind religion, because religion is peaceful,
”added European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“
We condemn these unacceptable terrorist attacks.
Nothing justifies this violence,
”for his part launched Justin Trudeau, questioned on the same subject of freedom of expression.
The Prime Minister of Canada argued that "
terrorists, criminals, do not represent Islam and Muslims in any way
."
See also: Caricatures: a senior UN official calls for "mutual respect"
Three people were murdered Thursday with stab wounds in a church in Nice (southern France) by a man who was apprehended.
In addition, a guard at the French consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was injured by a Saudi armed with a knife.
These attacks come amid anger in the Middle East against France and President Emmanuel Macron, vilified for having defended the right to publish cartoons in France.
The French president expressed himself in this direction during a tribute last week to Samuel Paty, a teacher beheaded in the middle of the street in an Islamist attack for having shown caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in class in a course on freedom of expression.