This past Friday, November 13, 2015, terrorists staged simultaneous attacks throughout Paris, France. The attacks, which took place at a concert hall, the Stade de France, and two restaurants, killed at least 129 people and wounded another 352. This event is one of the worst acts of terrorism in French history, and has completely taken over world media. The American response has been incredibly empathetic, and has been likened to the French response to 9/11.
Directly following the attacks, Facebook activated a safety feature, which allowed users in Paris to mark that they were safe and, in effect, inform their friends and family. In an effort to show solidarity, Facebook users across the world have begun adding an overlay of the French flag to their profile pictures. While these efforts through social media are heart-warming and widespread, they are also incredibly ignorant.
The same day as the Paris attacks, there were two suicide bombings in Beirut, Lebanon. The bombings killed 40, injured 200, and destroyed countless shops, homes, and lives.
The city of Singar, Iraq, has been reduced to rubble after a battle between ISIS and Kurdish forces for control of the city. After a year of turmoil, the city has finally been taken back from ISIS.
On Wednesday, 20,000 protesters flooded the streets of Kabul, Afghanistan, to speak out against the seven beheadings by ISIS that week, including that of a 9-year-old girl.
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake was set off in Japan on Friday, triggering Tsunami warnings.
Finally, amid all of this, the Syrian refugee crisis continues, leaving more than 1 million humans without food or shelter.
Now, I am in no way disputing that the attacks in France were horrendous and deserve media attention. The unbelievable number of lives lost is incomprehensible. However, it must be noted here how first-world-centric our media is. The countless other terror attacks and major events that occurred this week got hardly any media coverage, while news on Paris is flooding every channel and newsfeed. France is a country so similar to the United States; citizens are predominantly white, Christian, and middle/upper class. Americans see a mirror to our own terror attacks in these recent events, and therefore focus on them. Even Facebook, which is used across the world, instituted their Safety Check only for France, and not for the numerous other recent tragedies.
It’s hard to pay attention to all the horrific events that happen around the world, but we must if we claim to fight for world peace. We cannot just focus on those people who are similar to us, and instead must focus on all humans, regardless of race, class, gender, or religion.
