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Analysing the Reactions to the Paris Attacks

On the 13th November 2015, Paris was rocked by four interlinked terrorist attacks on theatres, restaurants and the Stade de France, killing more than 120 people and injuring around 200. Due to today’s use of online media, within minutes of the attacks, stories broke, with hundreds of people commenting on Facebook and Twitter and news corporations reporting all over the world.

While some reactions to the attacks have been touching and profound, there have also been people making outrageous anti-Muslim statements and, in some cases, actually taking revenge into their own hands. In this article I’ll be reporting on the various different reactions to the Paris attacks, from the political responses regarding action in Syria, to singing ‘La Marseillaise’ at the football.

Politics

Within hours of the attacks being reported, most senior politicians across Europe and the United States had issued statements offering their condolences to those affected. However, the statements released after this have been highly scrutinised, with some politicians rallying to support increased action against terrorism and others firmly set against it.

Jeremy Corbyn received some negative press this week after making a statement against the ‘shoot to kill’ orders issued by Downing Street in the event of a Paris-style terrorist attack. He said, “I’m not happy with the shoot-to-kill policy in general – I think that it is quite dangerous and I think it can often be counterproductive. I think you have to have security that prevents people firing off weapons, where they can.”

David Cameron has also been under immense pressure to reschedule a vote in parliament with regard to the UK’s involvement in the bombing of Syria. He said yesterday that “it is my firm conviction that Britain should extend its airstrikes against Islamic State targets from Iraq to Syria.”

“The statements released after this have been highly scrutinised”

Religion

The Pope was quick to offer his condolences and support to the people of France, saying, I am close to the people of France, to the families of the victims, and I am praying for all of them.”

However, in the Dalai Lama’s interview he said, ‘Violence is a reaction by short-sighted, out of control people. At 81, I believe it cannot be resolved through prayers or government help.

Revenge

A few days after the so called ‘hack-tivist’ group Anonymous declared war on I.S, we learn that they have now turned to Twitter to ask for the general public’s views on how they should conduct revenge on the terrorist group. There has been some controversy over whether the group – that is sometimes referred to as a terrorist group itself – has the right to take revenge for the Paris attacks.

Other forms of revenge include an attack on a Mosque in Paris, setting it alight and burning it down, and the Daily Mail reported that ‘in the Port-la-Nouvelle district, near Narbonne in southern France, several shots were fired in the direction of a Muslim prayer hall shortly after evening prayers.’

“Other forms of revenge include an attack on a Mosque in Paris”

Social Media

Facebook has also caused some eye-rolling since the attack by encouraging its users to superimpose a French flag across their profile picture, also including an easy button feature which lets you ‘try it out’. While many people who have chosen to use this feature are doing so because they are genuinely saddened by the attacks and want to show their sympathy and support, many would argue that this act is instead rather patronising and simply a way to ‘jump on the bandwagon’.

Unless those people are willing to change their profile picture every time a terrorist attack occurs, for example the Russian plane brought down over Sinai, then this is a pointless and unfair reaction.

Controversy

Jason Manford, the Mancunian comedian, received a huge backlash after posting a status detailing his views after the Paris attacks. The comedian was accused by many online as being ‘Islamophobic’ and a couple of hours later he had his account temporarily suspended.   However, Manford has gone on to defend his statement stating on Twitter: “I’d say the same no matter what religion. My track record is proof enough, I simply dislike extremists. As we all do.”

Natalie Mallory

Photo: Klovovi via Flickr.

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