We pray for all those who were murdered and for the speedy restoration to health of those who were injured. We pray that the burdens of grief will be tempered by the affection of so many who knew and worked with those who have been lost. At the same time, we must act to prevent such outrages in the future. A plague of terror has claimed victims on every continent. The people of every continent must unite in defeating terror, and the world must understand what terror can and cannot do.
Terror can turn life to death, laughter to tears, and shared hopes to sorrowful memories.
It can turn a building to rubble. But it cannot change America's determination to lead or to strive with others to build a world where there is more hope and prosperity, freedom and peace. Make no mistake, terror is the tool of cowards. It is not a form of political expression, and certainly not a manifestation of religious faith. And those who perpetrate it, finance it or otherwise support it, must be opposed by all people.