All victims of terror are deserving of your solidarity

THE co-ordinated Paris terrorist attacks last Friday, have dominated the headlines and exposed the vulnerability of every nation to acts of terrorism.

The facts are still unfolding, but so far the death toll is at 129 and it appears to be a retaliation by the Islamic State group to France’s engagement in the war in Syria.

There is no doubt these attacks are tragic, but the selective sympathy and empathy from the media and the general public is disturbing. We should be equally concerned about the loss of innocent lives everywhere, and not just loss in the global north or prominent Western nations. All lives matter.

The attacks brought the bustling city of Paris to a standstill. Suicide bombers detonated their bombs in strategic areas, including the Stade de France, while gunmen brutally shot and killed civilians in selected restaurants and a theatre.

The assailants took innocent lives and forced Paris into a state of emergency for the first time since November 2005.

Global leaders and people all over the world have shown their support for the victims of this terrible act of aggression. Solidarity and a unified front against crimes of hate remains vital, but where is the consistency in our outrage and condemnation of such acts globally?

One day before the Paris attacks, two suicide bombers killed 43 people and wounded 239 in a market place in Burj al-Barajneh, Beirut, Lebanon, yet the coverage pales in comparison. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack that targeted women, the elderly and children in what is understood to be a predominately Shia community and a Hezbollah stronghold. Hezbollah are also fighting the jihadists in Syria.

This was the deadliest attack in Lebanon since the end of its civil war 25 years ago, yet I wouldn’t be surprised if many people are hearing about this for the first time.

In stark contrast – I am yet to come across anyone who has not heard about the Paris attack – Facebook and Twitter are awash with messages of sympathy and condolences for the victims. Moments of silence are being observed, global leaders are making statements in support of the French people, yet the mourning in Beirut is nothing more than a blip on the radar.

It is all about “#prayforparis” and peace symbols encompassing the Eiffel Tower. Not a word about the victims in Beirut or other victims in different parts of the world.

Last month in Ankara, Turkey, two suicide bombers killed at least 97 people and wounded another 250. The Islamic State group is suspected to be behind this attack as well.

Yet the coverage of that event was minimal and I don’t recall Facebook generating translucent Turkish flag filters for people to add to their profile pictures in support of the victims.

Although

Turkey

is

still

considered by most to be part of the global north, it quite frankly, did not receive the same coverage and sympathy as witnessed with the Paris attacks.

In April, 147 people died in Kenya after a terrorist attack by al-Shabaab on the north-eastern Kenyan Garissa University.

Again, we can all agree that the media coverage and gestures of solidarity did not come close to what we are witnessing with the Paris attacks.

The response to the Paris attacks has been astounding and this is the only positive outcome from this tragedy, yet it also exposes our crippling selective empathy.

Atrocities of this nature and worse happen frequently. Surely we should be equally concerned and equally as vocal about the senseless loss of civilian lives, regardless of their nationality or geographical location?

There are two facets to the problem of selective empathy.

First, the selective coverage by the media and secondly, our complicity in this selective coverage.

News agents and global media companies are hugely preoccupied with the affairs of the global north. This is both for strategic and financial reasons.

Granted, they are indeed entitled to cover what they consider to be of strategic value.

That being said, we do not need to be complicit in selective coverage by only talking about Paris attacks on our own social media.

Paris should not be the only topic of discussion at the dinner table tonight. We should be consistent in our outrage and condemnation of acts of terrorism regardless of where they are committed.

Comforting yourself by saying that you did not know about the atrocities in other parts of the world is simply not good enough.

The loss off innocent lives in any part of the world is unacceptable.

Acts of terrorism are an attack on humanity.

The attacks in Paris are indicative of a global problem that requires more than just our selective attention.

All victims of all acts of terrorism and violence are equally deserving of your Facebook status of solidarity.

Mudukuti is an international criminal justice lawyer.