The City of Light will overcome darkness!
“Fluctuat nec mergitur” is Paris’s Latin motto – roughly translated, it means “it [the boat] is tossed by the waves but does not sink.” Paris, the City of Light plunged into darkness last Friday, will not sink, France will not sink and Europe will not sink from these waves of terror.
My thoughts go out to the victims’ families and to my fellow countrymen and countrywomen. One of my relatives was having dinner a few hundred meters from one of the attacks. Her life was spared, but so many were not. The targets were all civilians enjoying a concert, a drink, a dinner or a football game confronted with weapons of war. “Cowards” is the only label I will give to the terrorists.
Once we pass our mourning, I hope that we will avoid shortcomings and prejudices against our countrymen and women of Muslim faith. I want us to avoid backlashes against the Muslim community, and I support the message released by Empowering Belgian Muslims (EmBeM) condemning the attacks.
Paris continues to be the City of Light, no matter how hard the terrorists may try to stop its shine.
Liberté, Liberté chérie, Combats avec tes défenseurs!
Pierre Baussand, Director of Social Platform
