Solidarity with France

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Many of us learned of last Friday’s horrifying attacks in Paris as the workweek ended and the weekend began. Others awoke on Saturday to the shock of headlines about dozens of casualties and widespread panic in the French capital. It will be a struggle to figure out what the attacks mean for us as New Yorkers, Americans and world citizens.

A vigil at Riverdale Monument on Sunday set the right tone for our responses to come. Religious leaders righteously voiced outrage over ISIS’ inhumanity and elected officials justly linked the attacks on Parisians to those on Israelis and other victims of terrorism around the globe. As one speaker, a Riverdale resident hailing from France, noted, “This disaster which occurred in my country is a mini 9/11.”

Sunday’s military response from France proved the prescience of that statement. Just as the U.S. attacked the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001, France is now striking ISIS targets in Syria. It is calling on its allies to help in a greater assault.

What should we in the northwest Bronx do meanwhile?

For one, we can try to redress a striking change in the international discourse about terrorism. With each attack, western political leaders seem less inclined to emphasize the crucial value of inclusion toward all religious groups. We should pause to note that, far from representing most Muslims, ISIS terrorists are the cause of the current exodus in the Middle East. Here in New York, we should continue to view Muslim communities as part of America’s rich cultural fabric.

The governor of New York has not joined the reactionary movement sweeping his colleagues in other state houses, who are calling for a ban on Syrian refugees. As an election year approaches, we must shun politicians who would warp the recent tragedy into a basis for xenophobia.

In many ways, Paris is closer to the northwest Bronx than meets the eye. Many of us take vacation there or grew up admiring the values of liberté, égalité, fraternité.  We would do well to consider what those words mean as the world continues to struggle with the scourge of the century.

Paris, France, terrorism

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