‘A brutal act of terror’
PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has labelled last weekend’s Copenhagen terrorist attacks “an affront to some of our most fundamental values”.
A Jewish security volunteer, Dan Uzan, 37, lost his life after being shot outside Copenhagen’s central synagogue in Krystalgade while a bat mitzvah was talking place inside. Two policemen were also shot.
Earlier, the gunman attacked a free speech event at a cultural centre, killing documentary filmmaker Finn Norgaard. Condemning the attacks, Abbott said the thoughts of all Australians were with the people of Denmark, the families of the victims and the police officers who were injured “in this brutal act of terror”.
“The Copenhagen attacks were an affront to some of our most fundamental values – freedom of speech and freedom of religion,” he said.
“These and other terrorist attacks remind us that the threat from ISIL, or Daesh, is reaching out to free societies across the globe. And they strengthen the government’s resolve to do all it can to defend our way of life and protect our community from terrorism.”
The Australian Jewish community has also reached out to Denmark in the wake of the tragedy.
In a joint statement, Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) president Robert Goot and executive director Peter Wertheim expressed their “profound shock and sorrow” at the attacks.
“The Australian Jewish community stands in complete solidarity with the Jews of Denmark as we mourn the loss of Dan Uzan. May his memory be a blessing and may his death not be in vain,” they said.
“We also pray for the full recovery of the two police officers who were shot and injured in the attack while protecting the synagogue.”
They noted that like in Paris last month, the perpetrator first targeted a symbol of free speech – the symposium hosted by cartoonist Lars Vilks – before turning his attention to the city’s Jewish community.
“This pattern of murder and mayhem demonstrates that attacks against Jews, as Jews, are inseparable from the assault on freedom and democracy. As conveyed by the Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, ‘when you attack the Jewish community, you attack our democracy’,” they said.
The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) also expressed its condolences to the families of Uzan and Norgaard, and expressed hope that the injured policemen would have a full recovery.
Executive director Colin Rubenstein said, “There is sadly a pattern emerging of attacks on symbols of freedom of speech followed by attacks on Jewish communities.
“Action needs to be taken to ensure that Australians of all religions can feel safe and secure wherever they may be, but particularly in places of worship, educational institutions and communal gatherings.”
AIJAC director of international and community affairs Jeremy Jones added: “The poisonous ideology of anti-Semitism has, once again, resulted in tragedy. There must be zero tolerance of racism, which too often has been excused, justified or rationalised for political purposes.”
GARETH NARUNSKY
Flowers are laid in front of the synagogue in Copenhagen.
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