The international community must act immediately to stop the massacres and assist the Libyan people in safeguarding their fundamental human rights, the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice said.

In a statement, it said that when Jesus was on his way to Calvary, Simon, a man from modern-day Libya, was ordered by the Roman soldiers to carry His cross.

“Today we are witnessing the Calvary of people in Libya who are paying with their lives to exercise their fundamental human rights.

“While we pray for the victims and their families, we express our solidarity with all those who are doing their utmost to stop the violence in Libya and bring peace and justice to the people.

“May the perpetrators of such violence realise, sooner rather than later, that there cannot be a future built on violence.

“The suffering and courage of our North African neighbours should also prompt us, the Maltese, to respect them more and to shed our racial prejudices,” the centre said.