This country not immune to terrorist attacks, Rama says
TIRANA, Jan. 13 – Albanian political and religious leaders have joined others around the world to express solidarity with France after terrorists killed 17 people in high profile attacks on the press and other targets.
Prime Minister Edi Rama led a delegation with top officials of the religious communities in Albania to take part together with other European leaders who joined French President Francois Hollande at a unity rally in Paris.
The rally Sunday came after the massacre of 12 people at the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris, and two hostage-taking incidents that left four hostages dead. Another police officer was shot dead before the hostage taking.
Rama together with the religious leaders, a group of journalists and two ministers took part at the rally. The four religious leaders, walking side-by-side attracted applause from the French public while they passed by.
Rama said that the delegation was there to testify that “Albania of the religious brethren is set to continue to keep high the flag of freedom, rights, and equality among all the religious opinions and faiths.”
“All should understand that not only Paris has been attacked. Every country linked with the values that France represents, the values of freedom, equality, and fraternity.”
The premier also acknowledged that Albania was not immune to the terrorist attacks. He called on all the religious communities and the common people to keep high the standard of religious harmony and also become part of the global fight against terrorism.
Speaking to the group of religious leaders and journalists who accompanied him to Paris, Rama said Monday that he deplored the fact that there had been some voices in support of the terrorist attacks in France, adding that God Mohammed also denounced murder. That act is a blasphemy to the religion, he said.
He also urged the media on their fundamental role to raise the public awareness in the fight against terrorism.
“We are on the side of tolerance and peace, against division, violence and lack of cooperation,” he said.
Millions of people gathered Sunday in Paris and other cities in France. “Je suis Charlie” or “I am Charlie” was the overriding slogan of the marches, a phrase the world has taken up since the Jan. 7 newsroom massacre in the offices of the irreverent, satiric weekly Charlie Hebdo. France lost some of its top cartoonists.
The crowd applauded wildly as a line of police vans made its way through one packed boulevard leading to the Place de la Republique, the starting point of the march that some people never left — and others never reached. “Bravo police!” the people cheered.
The message at Sunday’s march was broader yet, and more inclusive: everyone opposed to terrorism and in favor of freedom of expression and other fundamental values.
In Sunday’s march, there were no sides, no left and right of the political spectrum. There was only one way forward: together.
Albania’s Foreign Ministry firmly denounced the attack at the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo’s headquarter in Paris as a serious terrorist act.
“Nothing can justify the attack against the free speech,” said a ministry statement. “The Republic of Albania shares the pain and sadness of the French people and expresses the most sincere condolences to the families of the victims and to the French authorities.”
