Honourable senators, there has been a deeply troubling trend in the news lately. Several terrorist attacks have been perpetrated at places of worship. These types of attacks are entirely unacceptable. Churches, synagogues, mosques and any other place of worship where people can freely express their faith are sacred. People who go there have to be able to gather and celebrate their faith knowing that they are safe.

What happened in Vienna and in France over the past week, as well as the attacks in Christchurch, Pittsburgh and the Quebec City mosque, which are not so fresh in our minds, but just as awful, are cowardly, inhuman acts. Brutally killing innocent souls simply because their beliefs are different from yours is not just unacceptable to the victims’ loved ones and every member of their religious community, it is also a direct attack on the most important values of western society.

Democracy as we know it would never be possible without that precious freedom, freedom of religion. Every individual has a vested right to believe what they wish, and those beliefs must not jeopardize the life of that individual or their loved ones.

In these tumultuous times when, for many people, faith is one of the only pillars they can still lean on, freedom of religion is all the more important. For those who are among the most vulnerable or even those we believe to be among the least vulnerable, religion helps them cope with the difficulties we are all experiencing. Today more than ever, all of us, together, must defend everyone’s right to openly practise and profess their faith.

It is our duty to ensure that all precautions are taken. It is imperative that our governments do everything in their power to prevent these despicable acts from happening again. They must prevent citizens from being radicalized by ideologies and certain religious sects that encourage violence in pursuit of their ideals, as we saw in the recent Islamist attacks in France and Vienna.

We owe it to our citizens, because they deserve to have peace of mind when they exercise their right to practise the religion of their choosing, without fear of persecution, much less execution.

Thank you very much, dear colleagues.