New York, June 13, 2016 - Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), with its Members of Parliaments (MPs) in 143 countries in all regions of the world, strongly condemns the shocking attack carried out by a terrorist in a gay nightclub of Orlando, Florida, yesterday, which has caused enormous loss of life and appears to have been specifically directed against the LGBT community.

PGA lends its voice to the many statements of support for, and in solidarity with, the victims of this barbaric act and with the People and Government of the United States of America and the State of Florida. PGA also stands in solidarity with the Representatives of States and other entities engaged in the global fight to counter terrorism and to prevent and counter violent extremism under the Rule of Law.

All acts of violence that victimize any civilian population or group shall be universally condemned and perpetrators – including those who support, inspire, incite or otherwise aid and abet the commission of such acts – shall be brought to justice. PGA equally condemns the inhumane acts that are committed against defenseless communities in situations of armed conflict, such as those that immensely victimizing millions of civilians in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya.

PGA is particularly outraged by the fact that certain groups and entities, including elements of ‘Daesh’ (also known as ISIS/ISIL), appear to have praised the criminal acts perpetrated in Orlando, hence demonstrating once again the inhumanity and brutal convictions that are inspiring their genocidal policies and mass-atrocities, particularly in Syria and Iraq, where millions of women and men are enslaved and are targeted by widespread and systematic persecution and discrimination.

The global network of PGA stands in full solidarity with the victims of all inhumane acts, regardless of where such acts are committed, the nationality of the alleged perpetrators and their motives, including terrorist and/or fundamentalist ideologies.

All perpetrators must be brought to justice and all State and Non-State Actors must fully cooperate to eliminate their sources of funding, their supply of arms and other weapons as well as any other support and recruitment practices of these individuals /leaders, groups and entities promoting, inciting, disseminating or supporting these inhumane and criminal acts, which are not only contravening the basic norms of humanity, but also negating the essential tenets of any religion or civilization.