As most of you know, on November 13th, 2015, about 130 innocent civilians were massacred throughout various locations in Paris, most notably Bataclan Theatre. Other targets included the Stade de France, and many small cafes and restaurants in Paris. The attacks was organised by ISIS, a terrorist organization with a hatred for the West. There has been a tremendous backlash following the attacks, with many politicians pushing for a massive invasion of the Middle East, restrictions on Muslim immigration, and various security measures.

The attacks began with the bombing of the Stade de France, during the middle of a soccer game between France and Germany. Luckily, one of the suicide bomber was detected by police at the entrance to the stadium, and killed himself and a passer-by. The two other suicide bombers detonated afterwards, killing and injuring many. French President Hollande was attending the game, and was rushed to safety. It it not know if he was the target for the attacks. Only minutes later, a different group began shooting at Le Carillon bar, which is a popular nightlife hotspot. One of the shooters turned around and began opening fire on a nearby restaurant, Le Petit Cambodge. In total, 15 people were killed and 15 people were severely injured. 15 minutes later, another shooting began in the 11th district of Paris at Rue de Charonne. After about three minutes, the shooters left in their car and headed away from the scene. In just over 20 minutes, over 19 people were killed. Then, at 9:40, three terrorists entered the Bataclan Theatre, and killed over 89 people, with an additional 99 in critical condition, in the span of merely three hours. “We thought it was fireworks but then there were men shooting in all directions. So we all lay on the floor and started crawling towards the stage,” one woman said. President Hollande declared France in a state of emergency, and for the first time since WW2, closed all of France’s borders. After about 3 hours, a special ops force was sent into the theater, and the attack concluded. In total, over 130 people were killed in the span of about three hours. This was one of the worst terrorist attacks on the Western world, except for 9/11.

During the attacks, the hashtag #portesouvertes, which translates to #open doors. This was used by Parisians to offer shelter to those in need. Two days after the attack, a memorial service was held at the Notre Dame Cathedral, presided over by the archbishop of Paris. Soon afterwards, the French government began to pass a series of laws and acts that would ramp up security and attacks against ISIS. In addition, many politicians are now adopting an anti-immigration stance toward Syrian refugees, while President Hollande plans to accept over 30,000 refugees over the next two years. The European Union has also reacted to the attacks. Many countries, like Germany and the UK, have decided to help France fight against ISIS, and have also started their own operations in the Middle East and forms of counter-terrorism. However, there has also been a growing backlash against Muslims, especially refugees. Many Eastern European countries, such as Hungary and the Czech Republic, have denied accepting refugees, and have also begun to promote anti-Muslim propaganda and laws. The attacks have also led to a series of raids France and Belgium, and led to a lockdown of Brussels, due to a suspected terror threat.

As many of us are aware, the following days after the attacks became a worldwide solidarity attempt, with many landmarks and cities changing colors to resemble the French flag, such as the Empire State building and the Sydney Opera House. In addition to this, many religious scholars, especially Muslim scholars and officials, have all condemned the attacks. In addition to this, many countries kept their promise to accept Syrian refugees, and some also increased their quota. Practically every country in the world has condemned the attacks, ranging from Japan to Lithuania to Afghanistan. Also, the hacker group Anonymous has declared war on ISIS, and is currently working on hacking their social media propaganda machine and DDOSing many of their websites.

However, for all this good, there is also the bad. After the attacks, many Islamophobic actions and policies have been created. Many American lawmakers and politicians such as Donald Trump and Ted Cruz have been open about stopping Muslim immigration and also imposing restrictions against Muslims living in America. In the past week alone, more than 10 islamophobic actions and protest have taken place, from setting fire to a mosque in California to shooting a store clerk in the head. Although Muslims are the real targets of these crimes, many of the people who were targeted were not Muslims, but random brown people (mostly Sikhs, because of their turbans). Also, this doesn’t just happen in the South or some random place. Many of these events have occurred in NYC and other cities, which are considered more progressive and accepting places. Even my family, an Indian family who has been in America for over 40 years, have also been targeted, just because we are brown. It’s made me feel uncomfortable to be myself, because now I feel at risk of being targeted and attacked at any moment for being brown, even as I write this article in my home. I, and many others, feel as though we are never safe, and there is no safe place for us. It’s no surprise that such a violent backlash ensued after the attacks. People are scared, and they want to do something to remain safe and protect their loved ones. However, hate and violence is not the solution; love and solidarity is.

The Paris attacks were a heinous act committed by an equally heinous and barbaric organization. However, it was able to unite the globe in an effort to combat worldwide terrorism, especially ISIS. In addition, a rise in Islamophobia has surged, with many innocent civilians and refugee being targeted only because of their religion. The Paris attacks will be the sort of thing we will tell our children about, similar to how our parents tell us about 9/11 and other such experiences. This event will live on in infamy for all of history, as a reminder of the true terror some people are capable of.