We
will never know why Friday night was chosen to launch the attacks in Paris. It could
be because it was the start to the weekend hence ensuring maximum damage, it
could be to take advantage of the crowds dining out or meeting up to enjoy some
music or watching football, it could be because it was Friday the 13th.
But what we do know is that it doesn’t make sense. Violence and atrocity never
make sense no matter how you try to twist it and if someone resorts to violence
because he himself was a victim of it, well, I’ll say that two wrongs do not
make a right. But I cannot judge because I was never subjected to something so
evil or violent to make me react in such a drastic way. And before you accuse
me of condoning such an act, stop right there. I’m not and will never condone
such a violent senseless act. But I do think that the attackers may have their
own crazy twisted logic or reason or agenda for it.
And
so it leaves a scar on the rest of us, on the human race. We may think in our
safe cocoon or plain ignorance or lazy observance of the world that what didn’t
happen to us wouldn’t hurt or affect us. But it does. The 11 September attacks
may not have affected the majority of is directly but it does affect all
travellers to this day and well into the foreseeable future as we have to declare
our liquid, aerosol or gel (LAGs) if we plan to carry them on board. The recent
attacks at the end of last week mean that some of us will always be bit
hesitant about stepping out, a bit reluctant about enjoying ourselves, and a
tad worried because we never know if we might be targeted next. I say attacks
because there is violence almost everywhere these days on an almost daily
basis. There was an attack in Beirut just a day before the attacks in Paris but
it didn’t get coverage. Why? The people in Gaza, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, the
Rohingyas, they all face violence, hardship and indignity almost every day and
yet their plight don’t get as much coverage if at all.
What
is also disturbing it that one of the perpetrators had a ticket to the
France-Germany match and attempted to enter the stadium. I don’t know about you
but whenever I went to the Grove to watch a match on my rare visits there. I never
thought there could be someone in the crowd who had plans to hurt or kill
others. This would never ever cross my mind. I’m not trying to trivialise the
attacks in other parts of Paris or anywhere else for that matter but as a
football fan who occasionally goes to watch a live match, I can’t help but
think of the effects on the sport (yes, we football fans are guilty of making football
more important than what it actually is in the grand scheme of things because
it gives us escapism from real life but the hype and whatnot are what makes us
the fans we are. And France will be the host country for Euro 2016 in seven
months’ time.
Events
like this leave us shaken and stirred and instil fear in us. We become a bit
more wary and suspicious of others. But we must not let them win. Terrorism has
no faith or face and knows no boundaries. It is thus even more imperative for
us not to lose our humanity and tolerance just because others are keen to
spread hate. We should not let these minority who do not represent the majority
of us intimidate us. So how can we respond? We can be braver, by being kinder and
more compassionate and understanding of the life we still have to live and as
such try to be a better person, sibling, child, parent, member of community and
servant of God. We can love and spread love beyond our family and friends to include
strangers because clearly love is in short supply otherwise why else would one
want to kill others? We can take better care of ourselves by living a healthier
lifestyle. Our short fragile life is what we have left so surely it makes sense
to love it with an open mind and heart, tolerance, optimism, faith and trust.
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