On Friday, Nov. 13, Paris fell victim to a number of attacks from the militant terrorist group Daesh (or more commonly known as ISIS). Over 120 people — from France, the United Kingdom, the United States and more — passed away from the deadly attacks, and hundreds more were injured. News of the tragedy spread quickly. Thousands of people took to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with the hashtag #PrayforParis. Facebook even gave its users the option to add a temporary profile picture featuring an overlay of the French flag, and Snapchat added a flag filter as well.
As the City of Light, the romantic Paris is a universal symbol of love. Scores of people immediately stood in solidarity with the city following the attacks, demonstrating that the love that embodies Paris had not been lost. Still, it is important to go above and beyond using a viral hashtag or consuming news about the attacks through social media alone.
While Paris undoubtedly needs love and attention during this critical time, so do other places around the world, especially those neglected by Western media outlets. When a senseless bombing took place in Baghdad, Iraq, the city received virtually no media attention. Just one night before the events that would unfold in Paris, Lebanon’s capital city of Beirut also fell victim to suicide bombings led by Daesh.. According to Anne Barnard of the New York Times, the global public’s solidarity with France “was mixed with anguish over the fact that just one of the stricken cities — Paris — received a global outpouring of sympathy akin to the one lavished on the United States after the 9/11 attacks.”
It is critical to understand that love only becomes more powerful the more people we share it with. We must extend the same love and support we show for Paris to Baghdad, Beirut, and other cities throughout the Middle East, Asia, and the world that are no strangers to this type of violence. We must also extend that love to people of Muslim faith and people of color. Both will endure more violence than they already do, simply because others exploit tragedy and use such events to fuel their unjust and racist hatred of other communities.
Hate crimes, no matter who commits them, attack schools, places of worship, theaters, concert halls and sports stadiums. All of these places have one thing in common: they are intended to be safe, loving spaces of community. Deeply meaningful friendships are made. People love the same God, band or sports team in these spaces, creating a sense of belonging and the feeling that one is not alone.
In order for these safe spaces to remain unharmed and our love and empathy to remain unscathed by hostile cynicism, it is important to protect those who are victims of hatred today and everyday. Stories and people must be celebrated and welcomed, and terrorists of all races and religions must see that the global community understands that there are things much stronger than vicious hate: respect, knowledge, intersectionality and love. Let’s do more than #prayingforParis. Let’s build a better community.