Today is the one year anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting where 49 people lost their lives. This attack was, and is, utterly devastating, and what I am about to write is not intended to lessen the impact of that terrible event in any way. My purpose is to point out an inconsistency that I find, frankly, disturbing.
I felt the same way on the one year anniversary of the Paris attacks, when the world lit up in solidarity with London, Brussels and Orlando. I have felt this way every time the western world shows solidarity for the victims of terror attacks on high profile locations in our part of the world. However, I see a startling inconsistency in our reactions to the equally devastating attacks taking place in the Middle East almost daily.
Last week when major landmarks in Tehran, Iran were attacked, the reaction from the rest of the world was markedly different. The Eiffel tower and Empire State building didn't light up in the colors of the Iranian flag, there weren't candle light vigils worldwide, even the U.S. statement was far from a true statement of solidarity, and was, more along the lines of a backhanded reprimand. When one of the safest (purportedly) districts in Afghanistan was attacked last week we in the western world also didn't react in the same way as we would have had that attack taken place in the diplomatic district of, say, Germany.
Terrorist attacks are so rare in the western world that when we suffer from them they feel catastrophic, and we forget to feel empathy for the people who suffer from these attacks on a weekly, if not daily, basis. We forget that others live in constant fear for their lives and the lives of their family members. And do we stand in solidarity with them? The answer is no as long as we continue to slow the flow of refugees, fear those who look or talk differently than us, and forget to trust other people.
The amazing thing about us humans is that we can feel empathy. We can understand and feel what others are going through. We have an amazing capability to trust, to understand, and to love. Terrorism has stolen that from us. We are afraid to trust people who look or act differently than us. We are so conditioned to be suspicious we forget to make friends, to understand and to love our neighbors.
If terrorism succeeds in making us constantly afraid of the people around us, if we no longer reach out a helping hand to our fellow man, if we no longer make idle chit chat with the people on our daily commutes, or who are our neighbors than terrorism wins. It will not matter if ISIS rules territory in the western world or if it is only in its restricted portion of the Middle East. If terrorism succeeds in striking fear into our hearts and turning us against each other then terrorism wins and we have lost.
So tonight I mourn the loss of the 49 lives in Orlando. But I also mourn the loss of life in Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Israel, London, Brussels, Paris, Manchester, and so many other cities worldwide.
And I pray for a world in which my neighbor is someone I can love without reservation and without suspicion. But I'm not just praying, I'm working to change myself so that I can love my neighbor without reservation and without suspicion.
"The world is changed by your example, not your opinion" -Paul Coehlo
