Paris terror attack: Husband pays touching tribute to 'love of his life' in defiant message to attackers

Antoine Leiris wrote although the terrorists had taken 'an exceptional life' they would 'not have my hatred'

People honouring the victims at Place de la Republique with flowers and candles (Rex)

The husband of a woman killed in the Paris attacks has written a touching message to the “love of my life” and promised to raise their 17-month-old son “happy and free”.

Antoine Leiris, whose wife Helene Muyal-Leiris was among the 89 killed in the Bataclan concert hall attack on Friday evening, posted an emotional message on Facebook.

Mr Leiris, who first met his 35-year-old wife 12 years ago, told the attackers he would “not grant you the gift of my hatred.”

In a post – shared more than 60,000 times by Tuesday morning – Mr Leiris said in French he would raise their son Melvil “happy and free” and that responding to “hatred with anger is falling victim to the same ignorance that has made you what you are.”

Mr Leiris has promised to raise his son, Melvil, without hate (Antoine Leiris, via Facebook)

Helene Muyal-Leiris was among the 89 killed in the Bataclan concert hall

You can read the full translated post here:

“Friday night, you took an exceptional life - the love of my life, the mother of my son - but you will not have my hatred. I don't know who you are and I don't want to know, you are dead souls. If this God, for whom you kill blindly, made us in his image, every bullet in the body of my wife would have been one more wound in his heart.

So, no, I will not grant you the gift of my hatred. You're asking for it, but responding to hatred with anger is falling victim to the same ignorance that has made you what you are. You want me to be scared, to view my countrymen with mistrust, to sacrifice my liberty for my security. You lost.

I saw her this morning. Finally, after nights and days of waiting. She was just as beautiful as when she left on Friday night, just as beautiful as when I fell hopelessly in love over 12 years ago. Of course I am devastated by this pain, I give you this little victory, but the pain will be short-lived. I know that she will be with us every day and that we will find ourselves again in this paradise of free love to which you have no access.

We are just two, my son and me, but we are stronger than all the armies in the world. I don't have any more time to devote to you, I have to join Melvil who is waking up from his nap. He is barely 17-months-old. He will eat his meals as usual, and then we are going to play as usual, and for his whole life this little boy will threaten you by being happy and free. Because no, you will not have his hatred either.”

Six attacks, later claimed by terror organisation Isis, across the French capital claimed 129 peoples’ lives on Friday. In response President Francois Hollande has extended the country’s state of emergency and declared “France is at war.”