LONDON – 7^th January 2015

The Dialogue Society utterly condemns the barbaric attack that has taken place today in Paris on the French magazine Charlie Hebdo, leading to the loss of 12 lives and the injury of others. The brutal murder of journalists and police officers is an appalling crime that we hope will soon be met with fair justice, as the alleged attackers remain at large.

Such horrific actions represent an assault on human dignity and democratic values and can never be justified. At the Dialogue Society we promote open and candid dialogue and interaction where ideas are aired, appreciated and only challenged, if challenged at all, again through ideas.

In these difficult times we offer the families of the victims and the people of France our heartfelt condolences. We wish those injured a speedy recovery and pray for peace, unity and patience between communities in France and around the world. We call upon everyone to stand together and united against such murderous acts.

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Notes to editors

1. The Dialogue Society was established in London in 1999 by British Muslims of Turkish background who were inspired by the teachings and example of Fethullah Gülen. It aims to promote dialogue and advance social cohesion by connecting communities through discussion forums, courses, capacity building publications and outreach. The Dialogue Society is not a religious or ethnic organisation, but rather aims to facilitate dialogue on a whole range of social issues, regardless of any particular faith or religion. It stands for democracy, human rights, the non-instrumentalisation of religion in politics, equality and freedom of speech. For more information, see: www.dialoguesociety.org.

2. The Dialogue Society's recent publications include an exploration of the Islamic basis for dialogue and intercultural harmony and respect, entitled 'Dialogue in Islam'. This book and our other publications (including a policy paper, 'Deradicalisation by Default') are available at:
http://www.dialoguesociety.org/publications.html.