“Je suis le monde” – taking a stand against global terrorism

The scene that met the world as we awoke on the morning of Tuesday 22 March was bitter.

Yet again we had all collectively been blighted by the most horrific of human act imaginable; the thoughtless and cowardly murder of the innocent and the unaware. The cries of “Je suis Bruxelles” rang out across Europe; a chilling reminder of the not too distant past.

This all came shortly after bombings in both Ankara and Istanbul. It followed only a few months after numerous attacks in Israel, Lebanon and North Africa. I will never forget the morning I woke up to hear of the Paris attacks, and certainly not after I learned that some friends from my old school were there at the time.

The cries of “Je suis Bruxelles” rang out across Europe; a chilling reminder of the not too distant past

This all, as well as the horrific April 2015 attack on Garissa University in Kenya, in which a great amount of students were lost to the thoughtlessness of terrorism. When there are so many humans in the world, it’s very difficult to understand how there can be so little humanity.

It is an unfortunate reality that human beings are some of the most caring creatures, yet this care can be so selective. In all honesty though, I understand. If we spent all of our time deeply contemplating every terrorist atrocity, we would scarcely have the courage to leave our houses.

When there are so many humans in the world, it’s very difficult to understand how there can be so little humanity

Certainly, my grandad was adamant that I should be careful heading up to London for a day out on Tuesday. He was more so concerned about my grandmother getting her flight to Jersey the next day from Gatwick. Only in hindsight did my mother regret sending me off to take a bus, train and tube so willingly that morning.

However I went. I lived. It was a beautiful day and the sun was out. If literary theory lived up to truth then it should have been raining. There was no pathetic fallacy on that Tuesday though. The world itself carried on almost unaware of what was happening on its surface, just as it did almost every day.

The world itself carried on almost unaware of what was happening on its surface, just as it did almost every day

We are inclined to live in fear after these occurrences, especially when they happen so close to home. However it is easy to distance ourselves from acts of terrorism which happen outside of Europe or the US. This makes very little sense to me.

I have travelled a fair amount between studying in my life and it has taught me a very important fact. Every single country in this world is inhabited by real people, with real human stories, emotions, families, friends and lives. It’s easy to see the death toll in the Garissa University attack and other similar tragedies outside of western societies’ immediate focus as merely figures; a list of numbers and not much more.

This world is inhabited by real people, with real human stories, emotions, families, friends and lives

But they were students, just like us. They were the sons and daughters of now grieving parents. They were, and they still are, just as human as we are.

So far this year, there have been numerous terrorist acts globally. A car-bomb in Libya killed 60 police trainees and injured a further 200. A public shoot out took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, between police and supposed IS militants.  A mass-shooting in a Burkina Faso hotel left at least 30 civilians dead. A massacre in the Syrian town of Deir ez-Zor resulted in over 300 casualties, including women and children.

These listed attacks happened in January alone. Yet none of them make top headlines in the UK. It is easy for us to distance ourselves. We live in completely different cultures, and across lands and oceans.

These listed attacks happened in January alone. Yet none of them make top headlines in the UK

Regardless, no act to distance ourselves will change one simple fact; the people who were lost in all of these attacks were fundamentally the same as us. They were just civilians, going about their lives.

We have to begin to accept that every life on Earth is equal in importance and promise. Every life lost to terrorism is an insurmountable injustice towards us all. Brussels acted to remind us how close we are to this pain. We can’t forget this outrage. We can’t relinquish this heartbreak. Only in remembering will we ever be enthused to take a stand and stop these continual tragedies.

We have to begin to accept that every life on Earth is equal in importance and promise

We will only be able to fight terrorism when we accept this. We will only be able to collectively stand against this evil once we actually view ourselves as a collective. At the moment we are fragmented into our communities, countries or continents in ignorant bliss of anywhere other than what’s beneath our own feet.

However, we mustn’t be afraid. It is easy to react with fear. It is easy to be too afraid to leave the house for a day out in London, or to get on that flight to Jersey. But we can’t let this barbarism get the better of us. In fear, we concede. And we can’t just concede now in the face of genuine evil.

In fear, we concede. And we can’t just concede now in the face of genuine evil

So at least personally, I will not stop living my life. I will not stop travelling, meeting new people or going where I please. I will mourn but I will also live. And I will do so in remembrance of those who have been taken from us. No matter where they were from or what beliefs they held.

They deserve to be remembered, and we deserve to continue to live not only for ourselves but in honour of every person who has been lost to such cruel inhumanity.

Je suis le monde.