Fighting fire with fire

On Friday, Nov. 13, the world was shocked by devastating terror attacks in Paris. In response, #PrayforParis and several of its variations have taken social networks by storm. The world united with France and showed its support and solidarity for those affected by Friday’s tragedy. The response was inspiring, but not above criticism, for it highlights some issues that aren’t exclusive to this event. First, let’s talk about microaggressions. A microaggression is an act of unintended discrimination. A good example of this would be offering to pray for an atheist or nonreligious individual. France just so happens to have a lot of nonreligious individuals. According to a Gallup poll, 53 percent of France’s population identifies as atheist or nonreligious, and Paris is likely even more secular than reported. So isn’t a “Pray for Paris” hashtag a little disrespectful and even condescending? Wouldn’t it be better to be inclusive and show support and solidarity to the nonreligious as well? In the hours following the attacks, the Islamic State (ISIL) took responsibility for what happened. This isn’t too surprising. Acts of terror aren’t exclusively the purview of religious groups, but there is a strong correlation. It is clear this was an act of religious extremism. How much sense does it make to use a religious statement to show support for those injured by a religiously motivated act? It disregards the underlying issue and even has the potential to contribute to it. And this comes less than a year after the attack on Charlie Hebdo’s Paris office, when 12 people died for drawing a satirical cartoon of the prophet Muhammad. In response to the attacks on Nov. 13, Joann Sfar, a Charlie Hebdo cartoonist, posted a drawing on Instagram with the caption, “friends from the whole world, thank you for #PrayforParis, but we don’t need more religion! Our faith goes to music! Kisses! Life! Champagne and Joy! #Parisisaboutlife.” This is a pretty simple request and clearly states the wishes of those involved. There is nothing more divisive than religion. And in the wake of tragedy it is all too easy to point fingers and cast blame. We are already seeing far reaching results from the attack, such as U.S. governors declaring they won’t accept Syrian refugees. This division is exactly what ISIL wants. The world needs to unite against extremism, and using discriminatory language is the worst thing possible in this scenario. So let’s be mindful of the language we use and how it affects others. Showing solidarity is a great thing. But mindlessly using a hashtag without considering its implications is slacktivism at its finest. No matter your religious beliefs, it should be clear that religious extremism is responsible for this tragedy and thousands of others like it. Like Sfar said, we don’t need more religion. Religion is what got us here in the first place, and fighting fire with fire never works. So let’s stop using religious platitudes and give Paris the support it deserves: #Parisisaboutlife. Reach contributing writer Spencer Kelty at development@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @spencer_kelty

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