As of November 14th, 129 fatalities had been confirmed following the attack on Paris. The French government stated that these terrorist attacks were the work of The Islamic State.
According to The New York Times, ISIS confirmed, calling its attack on Paris “the first of the storm.” On November 15th, France retaliated, bombing the Syrian city of Raqqa. French president François Hollande has vowed to be unforgiving in France’s answer to the senseless actions of the militant attackers who attacked Paris. And while it hasn’t motivated people to change the colour of their Facebook profile photos, Lebanon lost 41 people in the city of Beirut just one day before. The culprits? ISIS. But the reason we’re all sitting up in our seats is because Paris is in our own backyard and ISIS isn’t just something on CNN anymore. They are real, and they are ruthless.
These attacks are senseless. Now, thankfully, I am not pegged with the responsibility of running a country, so I don’t have to make the hard decisions that the leaders of France and the USA must—I can simply read the news and wonder what there is to do in such a heartbreaking situation. The more I learn, the only thing I can say with absolute certainty is that ISIS is seeking absolute power, and that they are the most hateful extremist group that my generation has been witness to.
What is even more mindboggling to me are the reactions on social media sites—at the hateful comments geared towards Syrian refugees, and Muslims in general. How has it not been made clear that the efforts of ISIS are their own? ISIS bombing and attacks have claimed the lives of tens of thousands Muslims—only, these deaths have not been publicized in the media. These are the people that the refugees are running from—not towards. How can we not take the time to educate ourselves beyond the simplicity of a headline? During this time, I believe that it is more important than ever to show empathy and pray for the state of the world today—to come together, rather than rally apart. So let’s take a moment for Paris. And for Lebanon. And while we’re at it, let’s take another for humanity in general.
