Wounded man talks to media after suicide attack hits a procession of Shiite mourners in Kabul City, 2013.Demotix/ Pajhwok Afghan News. All rights reserved.Let’s take Obama’s strong statement for granted: What happened in Paris was an “attack on all humanity”. Yes, it was exactly that, an attack on my friends, on my colleagues, on humankind. At the same time, however, it was also a case of terrorist aggression like the others that have become almost quotidian – without the western media seeming to notice. Why can’t we open our hearts to everyone in the world who is a victim of terror, war and violence? I thought that the news could not get worse…
Having reached all my friends and colleagues in Paris, I am slowly beginning to grasp the extent of the catastrophe. I have no words to describe how I feel. I mourn with the victims, their families and friends – and I mourn for all of us. I thought that the news could not get worse. However, the media coverage, interpretations and comments about the attacks in Paris are indeed worse.
In the aftermath of those horrific events, the reactions and ready-made phrases are unbearable: the standard – and predictable – reflexes to terror show that we are more seriously aligned as ‘US’ and ‘THEM’ than we acknowledge. This has a serious political impact. Only a few politicians have managed to avoid the standard reactions and emphasize our responsibility to all humankind to stop the aggression. Only a few politicians have managed to avoid the standard reactions and emphasize our responsibility to all humankind to stop the aggression.
