The president of the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament, Gianni Pittella, and the president of Party of European Socialists, Sergei Stanishev, today condemned the two suicide bomb attacks which took place late last night in Beirut, calling for the Lebanese society to stand together and fight back against fundamentalism and religious hatred.
S&D Group president Gianni Pittella stated:
"The terrorist strategy of Isis knows no boundaries. Murdering people on the street or in an aircraft is just inhuman. On behalf of the Socialists and Democrats group in the European Parliament, I want to express my deepest condolences for the victims of this barbaric attack. Regardless of the current political stalemate, Lebanon is a fundamental actor in the region. It has shown itself as a powerful example of humanity and tolerance with its capacity to host refugees and its institutional system that balances different religious communities."
"This is the goal of the terrorist attack: to destabilise the country. We call on the whole of Lebanese society to stand together against this criminal act and fight the virus of intolerance and religious fundamentalism. Now more than ever, Lebanese society must show its full maturity and Europe must help support religious and political stability. This is essential for the whole region as well as for Europe."
PES president Sergei Stanishev added:
“These twin attacks betray a disgusting determination to maximise the loss of human life. I send my heartfelt condolences to the people of Lebanon for the loss and suffering caused.”
“Having just organised a visit to Beirut we are very aware of the challenging situation facing the people and the authorities there. Lebanon is already facing enormous pressures from large refugee populations. Now it seems that some of the terrorist groups operating in Syria may have spilled over into Lebanon.”
“We call for the Lebanese people to stand strong in these difficult times and we stand united with them. We reiterate our call for more support for Lebanon as they face multiple challenges.”
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