A new era, in which each civilian is a target, seems to have been introduced by the trivialization of daily suicide bombings, currently mainly concentrated on Iraq, hostage-takings, assassinations of civilians, staged macabre and humiliating scenes. The terror felt is undoubtedly too strong to be expressed simply. But can we really fight what is not named or ill- named when a terrorist attacking civilians and children is called a “resistance fighter”. when media choose to talk of the “execution” instead of the assassination of hostageswhen the end is understood to justify the means and despair to justify horror when the victim is made guilty and the murderer innocent when we are urged to accept terrorist demands in order to be spared ? The worldwide development of terrorism and particularly of suicide bombings is in no way spontaneous. Upstream, there is intensive propaganda spreading a reactionary and totalitarian ideology : Islamic extremism that advocates conquest, crushes the individual, glorifies hatred, martyrdom, and murder and turns human beings into weapons of mass destruction. Muslims are the first victims of Islamic extremism. Terrorism does not answer the world’s suffering; it worsens it. We refuse to moderate our condemnation of terrorist attacks by excuses or attenuating circumstances. Some of the most important human rights organisations condemned suicide bombings as crimes against humanity. We reject the assumption that the main cause to Islamic terror is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Focusing on it has given a distorted vision of the world problems, avoiding the real issues and ignoring major dramas, such as those taking place in Rwanda , Sudan or Tibet . We believe that condemnation of terrorism must be absolute, universal and unconditional. We fully adopt the following statement of Albert Camus : “Whatever cause one defends, it will be dishonoured for ever by resorting to the blind massacre of an innocent crowd, when the murderer knows in advance he will kill women and children.” We consider it urgent to help people from countries undermined by terrorism to reject it. Above and beyond our differences and whatever our options, hopes, fights, we call on public opinion to stand against terrorism. Together, we claim that no cause can justify resorting to suicide bombings, deliberately attacking non-fighters, kidnapping and murdering hostages, whatever their nationalities. We want the responsibility of those States that harbour, fund and protect terrorist organisations to be exposed. We are concerned with the plight of terror victims. We want justice to be done and the perpetrators, those who give the orders, fund and advocate these terrorist attacks to be judged and condemned. May 28 2005