Alan: Adjusting for population, the number of Lebanese who died in last week's terror attack is the equivalent of 635 French people.
“Where are you, Media?” ask the people of Beirut.
When Paris, France was attacked by ISIS terrorists Friday night, the news of 20 being killed spread throughout the world within seconds. In horror, we witnessed the number of Parisian casualties grow quickly. An outpour of messages for the victims and their families, expressing concern, compassion, and prayers, still saturates Social Media. There have been tributes, lighted monuments, and speeches by world leaders. Mainstream Media and Social Media have had the Paris attacks in their headlines for three days straight. But the the world and the media have failed 43 human beings who lost their lives in Beirut, Lebanon, one day before the Paris attacks. And we have failed the 200 injured, some critically.
Like Paris, Beirut was attacked by the terrorist group ISIS who have gloated responsibility for the savage massacre. Like Paris, Beirut citizens were taken by surprise with explosions on busy city streets. But unlike Paris, many around the world are still unaware of the Beirut slaughter.
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Ali Awad, 14, was chopping vegetables when the first bomb struck. Adel Tormous, who would die tackling the second bomber, was sitting at a nearby coffee stand. Khodr Alaa Deen, a registered nurse, was on his way to work his night shift at the teaching hospital of the American University at Beirut, in Lebanon.
All three died, along with 40 others, but there have been no Facebook profile flags created that now swarm the social media networks. No world ‘moments of silence/prayer’ have been observed. This rightfully hurts and angers the innocent civilians of Beirut.
“When my people died, no country bothered to light up its landmarks in the colors of their flag,” Elie Fares, a Lebanese doctor, wrote on his blog. “When my people died, they did not send the world into mourning. Their death was but an irrelevant fleck along the international news cycle, something that happens in THOSE parts of the world.”
There was also great heroism that day in Beirut. As one of the suicide bombers approached a crowd, a Beirut resident, who was out with his daughter, made a courageous decision that cost him his life, and saved the lives of many others. Joyce Hackel of PRI quotes Elle Fares.
"He tackled him to the ground, causing the second suicide bomber to detonate," says blogger and physician Elie Fares, who lives in Beirut. "There are many many families, hundreds of families probably, who owe their completeness to his sacrifice."
Here is a video with a voice over. It depicts just some of the Beirut massacre and the ISIS destruction.
There are some people and some countries that are blaming Syrian refugees for the attacks in Paris and Beirut, as if the only reason ISIS is choosing to murder in certain cities is because they are chasing down refugees. As absurd as that sounds, what may be worse is that many people have become emotionally immune to the plight of Syrian refugees and consider them a nuisance. Barnard continues her NYT piece with a quote by a Syrian woman named Nour Kabbach who fled her country and who now works in Beirut helping and aiding others. Kabbach says:
“Imagine if what happened in Paris last night would happen there on a daily basis for five years,” said Nour Kabbach,“Now imagine all that happening without global sympathy for innocent lost lives, with no special media updates by the minute, and without the support of every world leader condemning the violence,” she wrote on Facebook. Finally, she said, ask yourself what it would be like to have to explain to your child why an attack in “another pretty city like yours” got worldwide attention and your own did not.
JeSuisParis (I am Paris). أنا بيروت (I am Beirut). أنا سورية (I am Syria). I am, we are—the world.
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