You’ve all heard of the great ‘crises’ 2015 has thrown at us. You may yawn and make yourself indifferent, but there are a few things that should concern you.
A quick snapshot of the year:
January – Attacks on buses, kidnappings, bombings, suicide attacks, and a massacre in Nigeria (around 2000 killed) unfold. The Charlie Hebdo incident in Paris occurs, resulting in 12 fatalities.
February, March, April, May – Frequent mass shootings, rocket strikes, bombings and suicide attacks transpire.
June – Tourists vacationing on a beach in Turkey are attacked with firearms.
August – A mass shooting plot is discovered on a train from Amsterdam to Paris – thankfully, the actions of two American military personnel prevent any fatal casualties.
This pattern of constant violence continues throughout the year.
The majority of mass killings caused by either bombings or mass shootings have occurred in places such as Nigeria, Syria and Afghanistan.
Kindly take a moment to reflect on these events. Refugees are fleeing their countries, risking their lives for the hope of a safe home where their children can grow and prosper. For the most part, these terror attacks have left the West paranoid. It is now afraid to accept any refugees, as ISIS sympathizers and armed jihadists are reaching the borders of Western nations through the same routes taken by migrants. We should not treat refugees and terrorists as a single entity. We must instead provide help to these individuals, often highly educated, who seek only asylum and a stable place to call home.
It is important to recognize that the actions of ISIS do not reflect the Islamic population as a whole. Furthermore, preventing refugees from fleeing their nations only serves as a catalyst for ISIS recruitment, as occupied citizens are forced to join the organization or support their doctrines in order to preserve their lives. It goes without saying that ISIS’s growth should not be accidentally encouraged by paranoid policies.
The year, all taken into account, has been riddled with a myriad of unfortunate events. However, despite their tragic nature, perhaps all of these uprisings, all of these deaths could mean something. The world is in fact changing. Dictators are being overthrown, resulting in happier, freer citizens. The world is steadily improving, but in order for us to allow it to continue to flourish, we must do everything in our power to encourage its prosperity.
Refugees are a side effect of something that will, in fact, have a positive effect on all of us in the long term. Refusing to accept these individuals comes at a great loss for ageing nations such as Germany, in dire need of a young and enthusiastic workforce, and simply prolongs the terrible suffering of migrants.
In order for the world to become a better place, we need to be the ones to change it, and with that comes accepting the fact that we need to do our part. Simply allocating the blame to the European Union for allegedly “not doing enough” serves no meaningful purpose. Personally promoting positive change and acceptance sends out a powerful message; we will not let a group of religious extremists plunge the world into barbarity.
The Update 