Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of Sinn Féin, I condemn in the strongest possible terms the deplorable, murderous attacks perpetrated in Paris last Friday. Thar ceann Shinn Féin ba mhaith liom cáineadh láidir a dhéanamh ar na hionsaithe uafásacha a tharla Dé hAoine i bPáras. Seasann muid leis na daoine a maríodh agus a gortaíodh agus lena muintir.

I extend my personal sympathies and, on behalf of Sinn Féin, solidarity to the French Ambassador, the victims, their families and the people of Paris and France, with which Ireland has deep, historical and cultural ties. France and Ireland enjoy extremely good relations, not least through our shared revolutionary history and republican values of liberty, equality and fraternity.

The people on this island, like those all over the world, watched with deep shock and horror as the events in Paris unfolded. The victims of these dreadful attacks were innocent people, many of them young people enjoying a Friday night out with friends and family. They come from least 15 countries. They posed no threat to anyone, but were targeted without cause, justification or mercy. Families were cruelly robbed of their loved ones - sons, daughters, spouses, parents and siblings. We have seen, through the widespread and heartening messages and demonstrations of solidarity, that Ireland and the world stand united with the people of Paris and France at this awful time.

All of us also must stand against fundamentalism, bigotry, sectarianism and racism. Agus muid ag amharc ar imeachtaí oíche Aoine, smaoinigh muid siar ar na hionsaithe gránna i bPáras i mí Eanáir. The deaths of journalists, cartoonists and satirists, as well as civilians, in Paris on 7 January last provoked justifiable outrage.

So far this year, 47 journalists have been killed around the world. Tragically, the violence that we witnessed in Paris on Friday has been mirrored in countless other barbaric acts. Last Thursday, twin explosions in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, killed 43 people and wounded more than 200 others. Last month, bomb attacks in Yemen killed 35 people. In the years of civil war in Syria more than 250,000 men, women and children, mostly civilians, have been killed. In October, twin blasts in Ankara claimed the lives of more than 100 civilians. A bomb was responsible for destroying the Metrojet that crashed in the Sinai peninsula on 31 October. All 224 people on board were killed. A total of 51.2 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide. Approximately 3,500 people have died at sea since January making the desperate crossing to Europe in coffin ships. These victims were ordinary, innocent civilians. Sin iad na deartháireacha agus deirfiúracha s’againne.

Like the citizens in Paris who played no part in any of this, the people of the Middle East are entitled to live in peace and to pursue happiness and prosperity. While we think of the victims in Paris, Beirut, Yemen and Syria, let us also remember the thousands, mainly civilians, including hundreds of children, who were killed in brutal assaults in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Last summer, 2,000 people, mainly civilians, including 500 children and 13 journalists, died during the Israeli assault on Gaza. Like the Israelis who died at that time, they bleed like the rest of us, grieve like the rest of us and are equally deserving of our sympathy, compassion and solidarity.

Those behind the attacks in Paris and those who are perpetrating horrendous violence and injustice daily against civilian populations in Syria and Iraq are the enemies of all lovers of freedom and justice. This is not a conflict between east and west or between Islam and Christianity, but between fundamentalism and freedom. Whatever our religion, the colour of our skin or our nationality, there can be no excuse for these incidents. Wherever injustice, oppression or hatred exists, it must be confronted and challenged. Wherever anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, sectarianism or racism exists, it must be vigorously opposed. That must also happen with poverty, injustice, inequality, discrimination and imperialism.

ISIS and other fundamentalist groups thrive on the chaos and destruction wrought on Iraq, Syria, Libya and elsewhere in the Middle East, as a direct result of western military and political interference. This reality cannot be ignored. The world has become a more violent, less secure place since 11 September 2001. The horrendous terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre in New York resulted in a misguided war, with western forces first bombing and then occupying Afghanistan. This had major long-term implications for neighbouring countries and, indeed, the rest of the world. The Afghan war played straight into the hands those seeking to promote western militarism all over the globe. Under the leadership of George W. Bush and Tony Blair, war in Afghanistan developed into a general global conflict and war with Iraq. As one war leads to another, including the war in Libya and north Africa, the death toll has grown. The so-called war on terror has extended to Africa with the bombing of Libya and Mali and the growth of Boko Haram in Nigeria as well as the continued problems in Somalia. The US and coalition forces have carried out 8,125 bomb attacks in Iraq and Syria in the last 12 months. We have also witnessed conflict in the Ukraine and growing tensions between Russia and the west.

There must be a much deeper understanding both of the causes of wars and their consequences for everybody. Alongside the dead and injured in Paris, those suffering the most from the actions of ISIS are the citizens of the Middle East. Serious questions must be asked about the funding and arming of groups such as ISIS. Unfortunately, however, the west has an inconsistent and duplicitous track record in its dealings with Islamic fundamentalist groups in the Middle East. We know they have nothing in common with a peaceful religion, but it is clear that arms from western powers have ended up in the hands of these groups. London’s Independentnewspaper in 2013 claimed that the British Government made £12 billion from arms sales around the world, mainly in the Middle East and Africa. Western duplicity and cynicism towards the Middle East must end if there is to be a peaceful, democratic future for the citizens of that region. The running sore that is the treatment of the Palestinian people must be confronted, once and for all, if there is to be peace in that part of the world.

The horrific attacks in Paris must not become an excuse for attacks on Islam or on the rights of Muslim people, or to target or turn away from our responsibility toward the hundreds of thousands of refugees arriving in Europe, many of whom are fleeing the same fundamentalist forces who carried out the Paris attacks.

The actions of ISIS, the attacks in Paris and the alarming rise of far-right parties must act as a catalyst for European governments, the European Union and the Commission to counteract this sentiment. Let us remember that the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy has said all of the attackers in Friday’s massacre in Paris so far identified were European Union nationals. The European Union must do more to combat alienation and promote integration, equality and respect for diversity.

It is our responsibility to stand united in defiance of murder, threats and intimidation and with the people of Paris. However, it is also our responsibility to go beyond mere rhetoric. Therefore, I welcome the Taoiseach's assertion that, in formulating the international response, we must seek to tackle the root causes. That means that Ireland needs to pursue a foreign policy based on peace-making and human values. It is a fact that NATO has expanded and that there are efforts through the Lisbon treaty to link in the European Union. Irish neutrality continues to be weakened and this has included decisions to join the NATO-led Partnership for Peace and the utilisation of Shannon Airport to transport troops to join the illegal invasion of Iraq. Despite plans for the creation of a common European army, Irish citizens deeply value our neutrality and oppose any Irish role in the growing militarisation of Europe. The Government must reflect this view and move to defend and promote Irish neutrality. No matter how difficult it is, there is an urgent need to find a durable settlement to the conflict in Syria. We have to try to understand and confront the causes of conflict and division.

Our thoughts are with the people of Paris and all victims of conflict across the globe. We can only imagine the panic, the shock and the grief of Parisians and the French people, but we are confident that their strength, courage and humanity will see them through and stand in solidarity with them. Sna laethanta amach romhainn caithfimid a chinntiú nach gcuireann freagra an phobail domhanda leis an gcruatan agus leis an bpian atá ann faoi láthair. We know from our own troubled history that there are no purely military solutions. Diplomacy, negotiations and political resolution of conflict are key. As a lasting tribute to the victims in Paris and all victims of global conflict, world leaders must redouble their efforts to resolve conflict and build peace. We and the Government have a positive role to play in that regard. It is the least we owe to the people of Paris and all other victims.

See this speech in context