On March 22, Brussels was attacked by radical Islamic terrorists. There were two explosions, one at Zaventem Airport and the other at Maelbeek subway station. The bombings claimed the lives of 31 people and injured around 270 others. In the wake of the attacks, Belgium called for three days of national mourning. The French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls in reaction to the terrorist attack declared, "We are at war." Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German foreign minister said the attacks “aim at the heart of Europe.” Social media was flooded with messages of love and support for Belgium in the aftermath of the bombing. Similar to the global reaction to the Paris terrorist attacks, many offer their condolences and solidarity.
This sort of reaction is heartwarming to see, but where were the hashtags and Facebook filters for Maiduguri, Nigeria when two female suicide bombers blew themselves up by a mosque, killing over 20 people? Where was the national outcry after gunmen opened fire on a crowded beach at Grand-Bassam, Ivory Coast which killed 16? Shabqadar, Pakistan; Ankara, Turkey; Peshawar, Pakistan; and Istanbul, Turkey were all victims of terrorist attacks this year alone. There was news coverage on all of these attacks, but the social media reactions were far smaller than what was seen in the aftermaths of Paris and Brussels.
Why the difference in response? The cynical answer is that much of the Western world has grown accustomed to hearing about violence in Africa and the Middle East, and so when cities in those regions are attacked by terrorists, the majority of Westerners pay little to no attention. But when a city like Brussels or Paris is attacked then people start paying attention because it is perceived as unexpected.
Washington Post addressed this discrepancy last November. The author, Brian J. Phillips notes that there are several factors that contribute to why some attacks garner more attention than others. For example, he notes that "People are more likely to be concerned about victims they can identify with. Research tells us that U.S. media outlets are more likely to cover terrorist attacks with U.S. victims." Phillips also points out that in comparison countries like Turkey and Nigeria experience significantly more terrorist attacks than France, so when a major attack occurs in Paris it is unexpected and therefore considered more newsworthy.
The reason the terrorist attacks on France and Belgium gained more social media attention may be because they are more popular tourist destinations than Pakistan and Ivory Coast. Phillips writes, "The attack on Paris also shocked observers around the world because many have been there, or plan to visit. France is the most visited country in the world.This creates an 'it could happen to me' factor, and also suggests that terrorism could affect someone we know."
While Phillips makes some good points, I believe we should all do more to be aware of what's going on in the rest of the world even if it doesn't directly affect us. There is only so much an individual can do, but just reading and sharing articles on social media about terrorist attacks in other parts of the world is better than doing nothing at all.
