The first bombing happened just before 6 pm. The second went off exactly seven minutes later. I was lucky enough to not have been anywhere near the site of the tragic massacre. The same cannot be said for those 44 innocent souls who were killed and 240+ more who were injured in the twin suicide bombings in Beirut. I was at home; completely oblivious as to what was happening outside, until one of my friends texted me to make sure I was all right. When I turned on the television to watch the news and see what had happened, I heard screams and I saw blood. People were scattered all over what was once a busy shopping street in Burj Al-Barajneh, a neighborhood in Beirut’s southern suburbs, but they weren’t fleeing. Those who were unharmed stayed behind to try and help those who were injured. They were eventually asked to clear out when the ambulances arrived.
The following day, the town was quiet and in mourning but that wasn’t surprising. What I found surprising was that not many people outside of Lebanon cared. When the attacks in Paris occurred, I was just as disgusted and appalled by the complete lack of humanity these terrorist groups possessed. The difference between what happened in Beirut and what happened in Paris went beyond body counts. The major difference was in the aftermath of the attacks. The entire world stood beside France and supported it, offering their help and support. And it wasn’t until the terrorist organization claimed responsibility for the attacks on Paris that anyone made the connection and acknowledged Beirut’s suffering as well. The sad truth is, many people just didn’t really seem to care. Facebook put a “safe” button system in place for people living in Paris to announce their safety but somehow forgot to do the same for Beirut. Why is that? Because a common misconception in the West is that Lebanon is the type of country wherein this sort of thing happens all of the time. Not only was this desensitizing the gravity of the situation, it was also completely untrue.
What I found even more heartbreaking and frightening was the backlash and hatred towards Muslims all over the world. There are 1.57 billion Muslims in the world today. 1.57 billion Muslims who cannot and should not be held accountable for the disgusting and inhumane actions of a group of extremists. 1.57 billion Muslims who have done nothing to deserve what is coming to them. 1.57 billion Muslims who just want to live in peace and go on with their lives without having to wake up everyday and worry about their safety, wondering if they will be made to remove their hijabs or if they’re going to be persecuted for believing in a religion that forbids the very actions they’re being accused of doing.
Religions aren’t evil. People are. A religion cannot force anyone to do anything. People decide for themselves whether they want to be good or bad. The only difference here is that these terrorists are using Islam as an excuse to kill, bomb, and torture others.
My prayers and thoughts go out to all of the victims and their families.
