How Paris should teach us at last that all human lives matter
Every life lost is one too many. It seems like our world is on pause after the tragic events in Paris last Friday night. But that is not true. The world is not on pause as humanity suffers more tragic losses due to terrorist activity and wars in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, to name a few. Despite this, a majority of the world’s eyes remain fixated on mourning the losses in Paris. While it is everyone’s right to do so, it, however, questions the way of how to do so and how to deal with the aftermath.
It seems that more people stop a moment for themselves, a quick click on Facebook, changing the profile picture to a French flag or a peace symbol based on the Eiffel tower’s silhouette. A quick click to express solidarity. Which is a nice gesture and more than appropriate. I myself tried to get a hold of all my friends in Paris as soon as I found out about what was going on, and tried to find the right consolidating words which they appreciated a lot. Understandably, most people in the so-called “West” identify closer with the attacks in Paris because they rather have friends living in Paris than in Baghdad, this includes me as well. The question remains however, if people keep thinking of the Parisian victims. Or is it just that one “click” and everyone thinks that is enough and is going to change anything? I decided not to change my profile picture and have a critical stand towards it. Yes, it is a nice gesture. And if it helps people to express their solidarity, by all means, I do not want to prevent anyone to do so, however, I would like to highlight some facts that hopefully get people thinking. The quick Facebook activity leaves one wondering. Wondering about the fact that Facebook enabled said tool following the deaths of at least 129 victims in Paris but not after a Russian plane was shot down over the Sinai Peninsula, killing 224 people, for example. Another tool enabled people to check in as “safe” on Facebook, to calm worrying family members and friends who could not reach their loved ones.Why did we not see this tool before for people in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen or Palestine? Those victims have a caring family and friends as well. And active members of the Facebook community they would probably appreciate a possibility to check in as “safe” as well. Detonating twin bombs killed more than 40 people and injured more than 200 in Beirut – why did we not see the hashtags #prayforbeirut or #wearelebanon despite these attacks happening only hours before the attacks in Paris? Yes, it is true that bombs detonate more frequently in countries such as Lebanon or Iraq than in the city of love. But that does not mean it causes less tragedy or less pain to families and friends.
Why did we see the Sydney Opera House or the Brandenburg Gate lit up in the colours of the French flag, but not in the Kenyan colours when the Al-Shabaab militia killed 147 people on the Garissa University Campus or the Turkish colours when more than a hundred people died and more than 500 were injured one month ago during a peace-rally?
It leaves an aftertaste. An aftertaste of solidarity and sorrows for victims of such attacks in the so-called "West" being seen as so much more important and mattering than taken and lost lives in other regions of this world. The so-called “Western” world has become guilty of accepting terrorist attacks in conflict-affected regions, particularly in the Middle East, as something “common”. If an attack then is taking place ‘closer to home’, for example in the heart of Europe, a wave of solidarity is being shown immediately. Which should not be happening as it is wrong and racist. Every day humans lose their lives. And those lives matter equally. And it is our task to make sure everyone knows that. Because the consequences of Friday’s tragic events in particular will most likely increase the influence of the European right-wing movements and parties across Europe, they will abuse the lost lives (à la “it is now happening here”) to stir up hatred against refugees without realising the refugees are fleeing from exactly the same extremists most likely being responsible for the attacks in Paris. The anti-Islam and anti-refugee movements will blame terrorism on religion without realising that it is not religion causing terrorism but people abusing the cover of religion to justify their actions. They will ignore the fact that it was a Muslim security guard who prevented one of the attackers from entering the stadium when discovering the suicide vest and therefore preventing a massacre.
This attack and its victims need to be treated like every other attack in the world. Nothing more, nothing less. As a consequence, however, it needs to be used as a motivation to stand together, to not give in to the ones causing the tragedy in the world. Because that is what the attackers want to achieve. Just like affected people in countries such as Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen and so on mourn the dead to then continue life and not to give in to the fear, everyone who claims to be more scared now, needs to be strong and identify with the world’s inhabitants, who are in a clear majority opposing the very few trying to destroy. Terrorism cannot win. Therefore we have to accept, however, that all lives matter equally.
Photo Credit: Sol
