Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I reiterate what has already been said by my colleagues in extending my sympathies to those victims in Paris on Friday night. We are with the people of France at this very difficult time. The French republic will prevail and come through the adversity it faces at the present time.

The incidents we witnessed were nothing more than sheer terrorism - cold and callous acts of hate intended to destroy the lives of many for the agenda and beliefs of a few. My condolences are also extended to the victims' families and friends and the city of Paris. May they find healing and peace in global solidarity. We will all stand with them.

People are understandably fearful. Their most basic human rights and liberties were infringed in a horrific manner. It is, therefore, understandable that the feeling of security and safety is rocked by what happened and the sense of invincibility is no longer there. We are used to seeing the headlines of equal magnitude from far-off countries and as much as we sympathise with these various daily atrocities, it becomes more sobering when something so catastrophic happens so close to home.

Unfortunately, on the back of the weekend's events, I have seen a spike in bigotry both online and away from social media and to my dismay, the painting of 1.6 billion people with the same brush. Although it is indicative of a society that is scared, very negative elements of the far right within Europe are making stringent efforts to distort the weekend's sadness into a feeling of anger, all for their own political gain. An example is the petrol bomb attack on a Muslim family in Ballymena in the early hours of this morning. My fear would be that these attacks will increase as a result of ignorance.

For this reason, we as public representatives have a major responsibility in distinguishing between refugees, Muslims and the terrorists groups making an attempt to destabilise Europe. They are the monsters from which the refugees are fleeing, making the choice between life and death and making one of the most dangerous journeys anyone could make in an attempt to flee from the persecution of these terrorists. The attacks which were carried out in Paris are similar to those happening on a daily basis in Syria. Even the most hardened human being, when analysing matters rationally, will accept the plight of Syrian refugees. Muslims all around the world stand in their solidarity and their condemnation of the atrocities in Paris. They are as against violence as you and I. They do not envisage a utopia where death and destruction are part and parcel of day-to-day living. They want the world to be an accepting place as much as each one of us here today in this Chamber.

ISIS is not representative of Islam. It is representative of a fundamental terrorist group which has very little in the way of political aims other than to terrorise and maim. Islam is a religion of peace and love like all other world religions. Throughout history, there has always been a minority which will use the mask of religion to pursue its own agenda but this mask is beginning to slip. They are being seen globally as the bloodthirsty tyrants that they truly are. We need to come together and oppose the slaying of innocent civilians in any part of the world, stand against violence and not let a discourse prevail that promotes a hierarchy of lives or deaths, whatever colour or creed the victims may be.

I do not know what the solution is in dealing with these people but I do know that whatever happens, I do not want another innocent civilian to lose their life. We must stand united as global citizens and tackle these issues head on in a way that prevents something of such horrific magnitude happening again, be it here in Europe or in any other part of the world.

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