THE shocking events in Paris on Friday night have touched all of us deeply.

This horrendous atrocity – so barbaric, so inhumane – was as indiscriminate as it was pitiless.

Going to see a band, having a meal, watching the football – these are the simple acts of everyday life; for each of them to be targeted in such a way is a gross and unforgivable outrage.

Of course this is far from the first time ISIL have struck – the appalling loss of life on the sands of Tunisia; the Russian passenger jet blown up mid-flight; the wanton destruction of Palmyra, Sinjar and countless other towns and villages – this is a despicable organisation whose ambition is growing month by month.

But the attacks on Paris feel different. This feels nearer.

Paris, like Glasgow, is a city which bustles with energy and verve. It, like Glasgow, is a city of leisure and pleasure as well as trade. It is a city of freedom, creativity and joy. It is precisely these freedoms the terrorists were targeting.

They are not at war with one country or people; they want to destroy the entire way of life enjoyed by free peoples the world over.

That’s why we stand so firmly together with Paris; why we join it in saying this is a fight that we will win.

But let’s not kid ourselves, this threat cannot be wished away and it would be irresponsible to pretend an attack could not happen here.

As the Prime Minister said on Monday, our intelligence agencies have foiled seven attacks in the last six months.

So we must redouble our efforts to stop these people before they are allowed to strike.

This means supporting M15, M16 and GCHQ to get on with the job. It’s right that the UK Government will ramp up intelligence agency staff by 15 per cent and spend more money on thwarting cyber-attacks.

We also need to disrupt the radicalisation process and give greater voice to the vast majority of Muslims who despise these extremists and the perverted form of Islam they preach.

Sitting back just isn’t an option; the only way to destroy ISIL is to fight back.

This is what the people of Paris have already begun to do, by returning to their way of life.

This calm determination was given voice by the City’s Archbishop, Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, who told mourners:

“As we face this blind barbarism, each breach of our firm conviction will be a victory for our aggressors”.

He is quite right. We cannot run from the reality we face but we mustn’t sacrifice our values either.

And ultimately it is these values that will prevail.

As I took in the news coverage over the weekend, one message stood out.

Posted next to a restaurant targeted on Friday night, stood a banner whose simple, defiant message seemed to speak for us all.

“Against extremism, Paris united in life”, it read.

I can’t put it any better than that.