LI President of Honour releases statement on Charlie Hebdo - Main contents

President of Honour Hans van Baalen MEP, leader of LI full member VVD in the European Parliament, together with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and leader of the VVD in the Tweede Kamer, Halbe Zijlstra MP, has condemned the terrorist attack on freedom of speech following the assassination of the editor in chief of Charlie Hebdo and many others in Paris.

The LI President of Honour said: “Nobody will be able to silence free men and women in Europe, that this attack is an attack on all of us and that we should vigorously defend free journalists, cartoonists and others who make use of their right to free speech. We all are Charlie Hebdo. More European and international co-operation is needed. We need to follow the money. We should monitor passenger data. Citizens should be vigilant and work closely together with the police. Parents should take responsibility for their children. This is not a fight against peaceful Muslims but a fight against terrorists.

Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb of Rotterdam, the venue of the last LI Congress, said terrorists can never use Islam in order to defend their cause and actions. Those who do not speak out against terrorism, who do not defend freedom, or who support these terrorists attacks in the name of Allah have no place in our society. Freedom will prevail.