A multi-faith group is encouraging people to spread “shalom, salaam and peace” in light of the terror attacks in Paris.

Barnet Multi Faith Forum, which meets at Hendon Town Hall, has vowed to stand together to condemn the terrorists’ “despicable” actions.

The violence began after brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi attacked the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday, killing 12 employees.

On Thursday, another gunman, Amedy Coulibaly, shot dead a policewoman and injured a man in the southern Paris suburb of Montrouge before fleeing.

On Friday, the same gunman killed four people at a kosher supermarket in eastern Paris. 

In a statement, the forum said: “Freedom of speech, freedom of expression and the freedom to worship as and where we wish are integral parts of a democratic society.

“Over the centuries, our ancestors worked hard to earn us these rights. We are now so used to them that we may be guilty of taking them for granted.”

The group, which has Christian, Jewish and Muslim members, as well as others, have also come out in defence of Islam.

They added: “It is our freedoms that are under attack and we affirm that they are not perpetrated by true followers of the Prophet Muhammad.

“We assert that Islam is a peaceful religion and what happened in Paris is as abhorrent to the Muslim world as it is to all others.

“There is no religion that has violence, hatred, terror, murder or slaughter as part of its beliefs.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the French nation and all those personally affected by the carnage this week in Paris and we urge all people of faith.”