God Be with France

[Anastasia13]

I have sat through two moments of silence and saw a lightup billboard for France while I was travelling (can't say I recall seeing one like that (as a sign signal of solidarity or sympathy with terrorist victims before)) as well as some of the only FB fiddlers I can recall ever seeing this weekend. I have been trying to work through my thoughts and feelings about this vs other things and what is ok to think or feel as I do about what I observed. It was no a statement about phatmass involvement. I apologize for having spoken out of place. It was the middle of the night, and I did not pay as much attention to the middle of the thread. Please forgive me. I do not mean to take away from what NadaTeTurbe or anyone in France has experienced or has to say.

Edited November 16, 2015 by Anastasia (L&T)

[dominicansoul]

Where was this when about the same number were killed/injured in Yemen or when 10 times as many were killed in Nigeria from terrorism?

Anastasia, i tend to agree with you, but here's a blog post that addresses this...(found on phatmass' home page.)

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2015/11/16/the-media-shouldnt-apologise-for-giving-the-paris-attacks-blanket-coverage/

Suddenly evoking Islamist atrocities in the Middle East has become rather trendy, which is of no use at all to the thousands who have already been butchered

Of the many responses on social media to the appalling terrorist attacks that took place in Paris on Friday night, one of the most regurgitated, not to mention tedious, is the complaint that the blanket coverage of events in the French capital far out ways reports of similar atrocities in Middle Eastern countries."

[beatitude]

Beatitude, is it true that yemenite can't seek asylum in Europe because they can't cross Saoudia Arabia ? 

Currently the main destinations for Yemeni refugees are Saudi Arabia itself and countries in the Horn of Africa. Djibouti, Somaliland, and Puntland are the top three - people are risking their lives in boats to go there and paying what money they have left to the people-smugglers, and it's a sign of how awful things are in Yemen that they are doing this just to get to three other risky places. According to UNICEF figures, on average 250 Yemeni children die every single day from conflict-exacerbated malnutrition. Diarrhoea caused by impure water (also conflict-related - the water infrastructure has been hit hard) is another leading cause of death, accounting for roughly 11% of deaths among Yemeni children. And this is before we even get to the toll from the bombing and shelling.

There are 1.5 million people who have been internally displaced and are in refugee camps in Yemen itself or temporary accommodation. Crossing Saudi Arabia would be very hard for a refugee as it's a long journey, public transport is poor, and it would be extremely difficult to make it across the country and over the border to Jordan without papers. Even crossing the Saudi border itself is getting harder: a few weeks ago there were reports of thousands of refugees being held there without food or water, and they have sometimes been attacked by border guards. So while a trickle of refugees may make it to Europe, it would be difficult for them and require resources most of them haven't got.

[ruso]

Here the facts of each leader

 

[Gabriela]

Maybe we can open a thread about actuality, were members can share interesting articles and debate ? I read a lot of foreign newspapers on the net (especially about the African continent, since they are a lot of young, interesting, objective, magazine writted by young african journalist), and I would be happy to provide links. 

Go for it, Nada.

[ruso]

And Obama is doing well to achieve peace, as he can not attack Syria, Yemen attack, all to help the Saudis, who support Al Qaeda and ISIS.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/16/us-saudi-usa-arms-idUSKCN0T51NC20151116

Edited November 16, 2015 by ruso

[Spem in alium]

I do agree with the points made above about the level of coverage. Here at least, almost all the news broadcasts have been "special reports" about Paris, simply repeating the same information over and over, and they even advertised a segment about terrorism which looked like it was its own TV show. This approach, combined with the language used by the reporters, seems to do nothing but create fear. 

I'm not sure if you can watch this, but I found this video last night and thought it was quite powerful:

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/waleed-aly-hits-out-at-isis-over-paris-attacks-calls-them-weak/story-fn948wjf-1227611388541

NadaTeTurbe, I will look around for some prayers. I believe we may have them. I am not sure about the funeral for our associate - most likely my Sisters in Paris will be made aware of it.

[Gabriela]

I do agree with the points made above about the level of coverage. Here at least, almost all the news broadcasts have been "special reports" about Paris, simply repeating the same information over and over, and they even advertised a segment about terrorism which looked like it was its own TV show. This approach, combined with the language used by the reporters, seems to do nothing but create fear. 

I'm not sure if you can watch this, but I found this video last night and thought it was quite powerful:

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/waleed-aly-hits-out-at-isis-over-paris-attacks-calls-them-weak/story-fn948wjf-1227611388541

NadaTeTurbe, I will look around for some prayers. I believe we may have them. I am not sure about the funeral for our associate - most likely my Sisters in Paris will be made aware of it.

I think that was a good video, and I'd like to believe it. But given how radical Islamists hide as secular Muslims, I'm not really sure how the West can handle the threat of violence effectively without taking some kind of drastic action against the whole Muslim community. I don't think that collaborating with the Muslim community will help, either, because often the moderates have no idea who's militant among them.

If anyone else has other ideas for how we can put an end to the violence, I'd really like to hear it. But maybe this is a better topic for the Debate Table.

[Kia ora]

I work as an assistant teacher. My kids got bored doing their homework and started talking about the attacks instead. Theyre barely 12. </p>

<p>Boy: bla bla y los islamistas -<br>
(Tunisian) girl: no. No islamistas. sino yihadistas. (Not islamists, jihadists).<br>
Boy and other girl: vale (okay okay).<br>

</p><p>Maybe she can change the narrative, the association among her classmates.</p> maybe theyll listen to the muslim they know when she tells them that its her religion, she has sovereignty over the name and wont allow others to use the word islam where it doesnt belong.

It disturbs me when peolle share pray for france on social media. Do they actually pray these people? Or has it become a matter of politêsse, something the sharerer doesnt give seriously and the receiver doesnt take serioisly either? The problem with today is that we think were actually doing something by changing our fb profile pics. That we are supporting. 

 

In a way im glad that we over look the brown people in syria or nigeria in favour of the white parisians. If this is our 'grief' and how we express it, if this is our 5min interest, then brtter waste it on the dead of paris than the dead of lebanon. They deserve our real grief and attention.

Lets pray sincerely, lets not be like the hypocrites, prayer is too beautiful to be left as a meme or sonething you just say you do but never do.

[Gabriela]

It disturbs me when peolle share pray for france on social media. Do they actually pray these people? Or has it become a matter of politêsse, something the sharerer doesnt give seriously and the receiver doesnt take serioisly either? The problem with today is that we think were actually doing something by changing our fb profile pics. That we are supporting. 

There's a name for this: "slacktivism".

I'm sure you didn't mean that the people of France don't deserve even bad prayer!

[Anomaly]

There's a name for this: "slacktivism".

I'm sure you didn't mean that the people of France don't deserve even bad prayer!

I don't believe prayer makes on iota of difference in the physical world.  It's a great story to tell yourself that it stops bleeding or dries a tear.   Prayer can also convince yourself of your justification to shoot into a crowd of concert goers.

[KnightofChrist]

I don't believe prayer makes on iota of difference in the physical world.  It's a great story to tell yourself that it stops bleeding or dries a tear.   Prayer can also convince yourself of your justification to shoot into a crowd of concert goers.

I'm shocked that an Atheist would not believe in prayer. It's like finding out grass is green after knowing grass was green.

Edited November 17, 2015 by KnightofChrist

[Anomaly]

I'm shocked that an Atheist would not believe in prayer. It's like finding out grass is green after knowing grass was green.

Maybe more an agnostic than atheist.  Can't prove non existence either.   But the point I clumsily was trying to make was to think about what one is praying for.   There is a lot more critical thinking required than a belief and appeal to a divinity.  It's what you choose to put in action as a mortal human than positive/negative wishes.    

[dominicansoul]

I don't believe prayer makes on iota of difference in the physical world.  It's a great story to tell yourself that it stops bleeding or dries a tear.   Prayer can also convince yourself of your justification to shoot into a crowd of concert goers.

what these radicals do is not equal to faith or prayer or religion.  Anyone can call their ideology a "religion" and use it to justify horrors...

I can testify that prayer does make differences in our physical world.  I've witnessed countless IMPOSSIBLE things happen through prayer to God in the name of Jesus Christ.  Sorry that you have not had this experience...

[vee]

what these radicals do is not equal to faith or prayer or religion.  Anyone can call their ideology a "religion" and use it to justify horrors...

I can testify that prayer does make differences in our physical world.  I've witnessed countless IMPOSSIBLE things happen through prayer to God in the name of Jesus Christ.  Sorry that you have not had this experience...

amen!  I too have witnessed the power of prayer, the fact that I am alive and a practicing Catholic attests to that for one!  

[Gabriela]

A football stadium in Hanover was evacuated due to "concrete threats" of explosives there.

[NadaTeTurbe]

There's an assault going right now in the city of Saint Denis. A women exploded herself. We don't know more. 

[Archaeology cat]

praying

[NadaTeTurbe]

Assault finished. Only two death (terrorist), and one police dog died too  But no policemen killed ! They arrested many people. 

[Gabriela]

A Jewish school teacher was stabbed by 3 men in Marseille. He's going to be okay.

Praise God.

A veiled Muslim woman in Marseille was punched and slashed with a box cutter. She will also be fine.

God help us.

Edited November 19, 2015 by Gabriela