International community responds to terror attacks.
On Nov. 13, the world was shocked as 129 people were killed in terrorist attacks in Paris. The day before, 43 people were killed in Beirut. The Islamic State militant group, commonly referred to as ISIS, claimed responsibility for the attacks, both of which injured hundreds. In the aftermath, many media outlets and elected officials have regularly used Islamophobic rhetoric to grossly marginalize Muslims around the world.
Politicians, TV anchors and social media users have exacerbated this issue, using their platforms to somehow incriminate 1.5 billion Muslims around the world for an attack carried out by 10,000 Islamic extremists. This misplaced blame not only drives wedges between communities, but it also is conducive to furthering the goals of terrorist groups like ISIS, who want to cause mass unrest and disunity.
The Editorial Board encourages the UC Davis community and students around the world to rise above hate and ignorance and to instead critically analyze what their local and national leaders are saying about the crisis and its repercussions. One bad apple does not spoil an entire apple tree, and the hundreds of millions of peaceful Muslims around the world should not be vilified for the horrific, abhorable actions of ISIS.
Hate does not solve problems; it prohibits rational, thoughtful discussion and begets terrorist ideologies. We hope that UC Davis students do not engage in uneducated, misguided Islamophobia and instead take this time of mourning and reflection to bridge relations between communities and cultures.
