As the dust settles after the horror of the Paris attacks and the victims are laid to rest, we as Westerners must remind ourselves what separates us from our enemies. Tragedy often spurs powerful emotions once it lurks its way into our lives. In the case of these acts of terror, our dismay has inspired these tragic thoughts that paint everyone in the Islamic world as a conspirator against us. This has caused some politicians to lash out against people who need our help the most, people who are both victims of the Syrian government as well as ISIL. We have all seen their struggles. These people, who are herded onto cramped boats at risk of capsizing, whose children have washed up on Mediterranean beaches. These people are those who have rejected the tenets of radicalized Islam and seek peace in the West.
Unlike Pearl Harbor or The Burning of Washington, the attacks in Paris were not perpetrated by a country but by a non-state actor (ISIL). This is reality of our world, our enemies increasingly those without borders. This is extremely discomforting, because it wasn't that long ago that we could simply keep our enemies in with barbed wire fence or concrete walls. We do need to be more vigilant about watching our enemies, but this should not come at the expense of those they harm. Europe and the rest of the West must remain open to those who flee the atrocities plaguing Syria and elsewhere.
The reaction of right wing groups to the refugees is by far the most astounding and contradictory. Most of these politicians often present themselves as strong followers of Jesus and the teachings of the bible. However, one of the most important lessons of Christianity is that of compassion. A particularly relevant passage to this situation comes from Exodus 22:21
"Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt."
Pope Francis has even called for every Catholic community to host a refugee family, beginning with his Diocese in Rome. Even in the midst of economic struggle, Europeans are still coming together to serve those in need. But right wing politicians have even called for border closings, some have even erected barriers to the migrants.
It is very easy to say that our openness has made us vulnerable to those who would do us harm. One of the West's greatest values is the free movement of people. This idea was seen as so integral to a united, peaceful Europe that many countries came together and formed the Schengen Agreement. This created open borders between connected European states, greatly increasing the ease of travel between them. Dozens of American governors have taken steps to prevent the settling of refugees in their states, citing "security concerns" as their main concern. However the United States already has a vetting process in place and it works. According to the Migration Policy Institute, the United States has taken in a total of 784,000 refugees since 2001, and only three of these people have been arrested for planning terrorists activities.
Perhaps the greatest lesson this crisis is the importance of our humanity. Yes, we must remain steadfast in our commitment to destroy the evil of ISIL. But in our conflict we must not succumb to the urge to dehumanize every member of a major religion. We must follow the example of France. Days after blood ran through the streets of its greatest city, France resolved to take in 30,000 refugees, an increase of 6,000. This is what separates us from these barbarians, our compassion and the commitment we have to human dignity. We don't behead people for being different, we welcome them and give them a voice in our democracies. Our values must not change in the wake of heartache, we must hold on to our compassion, for if we loose that then ISIL wins.
Liberty. Equality. Brotherhood
