#PrayforParis: 3 Sad Human Facts surrounding the November 13 Paris Attacks

First I heard of it was on Saturday morning. ‘Twas the first piece of news I saw everywhere; officially, #PrayforParis was trending. As I found out more about what we were supposed to be praying about, I couldn’t help the initial feeling of despair. I live in a country where Boko Haram terrorist bombings are reported virtually every day, but I still feel that overwhelming sadness every time I hear such reports. Events following newsbreak of the multiple Paris attacks however drove me to make certain observations, and they were downright depressing…

Here are 3 sad facts about human nature magnified by the Paris attacks:

Selfishness is a b***h; Sadly, it is inherent in virtually every human

When I woke on Saturday to #PrayforParis DPs, PMs, Profile pictures, posts, etc, my first instinct was to ask the originators of those content “What’s up?” Believe it or not, most people had it up only because they saw ‘everybody’ putting it up. It was trending, so the next thing to do was jump on the bandwagon, right? Never mind that this was a misfortune of great proportion, never mind that some families had been plunged into despair and really needed all the prayers they could get. Most folks who latched on to #PrayforParis did not even say one word of prayer! I daresay they didn’t even think a prayer in their hearts! Sad!

The Darkness of Hypocrisy

The stench of hypocrisy only added to the ugliness of the situation. Many who have cared less about troubles within their borders now turn activists over ISIS killings in Paris. Why? It’s all over world media so who wants to be the novice? Obviously, no one.

Why the Blame Game?

My Facebook wall has been awash with ‘opposing’ parties. Pictures and Memes have not been left out. One party is fanatically Pro-#PrayforParis (even though half of this population have not the slightest clue of the devastation unleashed in Paris). They were ready to tell anyone raising an eyebrow that there was worldwide solidarity for the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement.

The other party is not Anti-#PrayForParis per se but they have somehow assigned themselves the role of Moral Police, bashing the other group for their hypocrisy, asking why there’s so much fuss about Paris, asking if they’ve prayed for their country before wanting to pray for Paris, pushing a #PrayForTheWorld hashtag, citing similar events that have occurred in other nations without attracting world media and so much buzz (All in a bid to take the noise away from Paris?).

Facebook provided more ammo (so to speak). When thousands of Nigerians (along with other people around the world) activated the France flag temporary profile picture function, the blame game was taken a notch higher. Peeps came up with websites that enabled users take up the Nigerian flag on their profile pictures (Where were these peeps all this while?).

One post really got me. The user was subtly implying that majority of the victims were concert-goers at the performance of Eagles of Death metal Rock band. They were a bunch of partying freaks who were being ‘ungodly’ so they deserved what came to them? Sad!

Really, what does this achieve? How much does it help the fathers, mothers, relatives & loved ones of the victims gunned down at the Bataclan Theatre, at the bars and cafes, as well as the bombing victims outside Stade de France football stadium? Personally, I think all it does is take us away from the real thing.

That’s about it. I guess what I’ve been trying to say all along is:

Drop the attached baggage. It’s beyond a ‘France’ thing. It affects all humanity. Terrorism is a world problem, and collectively we should stand against it.

Stop treating Paris attacks like just another hashtag to follow. To the ‘righteous’ ones, whether some people choose to be hypocritical or not is of little consequence. If you think about it, whether sincere or otherwise, the cause is being strengthened.

The next time you type it or see it, don’t just #PrayForParis, a geographic location or just another country. PRAY for human beings like you; for people with emotions and feelings; people who have been hit with so much sorrow and anguish and who need all the support they can get! …
PRAY against terrorism, anywhere in the world!

Peace!