Three terrorist attacks around the world happened between the two day span of Thursday, November 12 to Friday, November 13. All three attacks were bombings in public areas and were perpetrated by ISIS. These three attacks were in Baghdad, Iraq, Beirut, Lebanon, and Paris, France. However, only one of these attacks is being publically mourned by the world at large. France, of course, is the only one being majorly publicized, recognized and grieved for by the media.  

Since the Friday night attacks, it it not uncommon to see Facebook profile pictures overlaid with a transparent picture of the French flag, along with many social media posts using the hashtag, “Pray for France.” Even major landmark buildings all around the world are lit up as the colors of the French flag. Of course it is good to mourn for those who are victims of terror, but selective mourning is a prominent issue. Where are the transparent flags of Lebanon and Iraq? Where are the buildings lit up as the Iraqi and Lebanese flags?

Most people like to say that everyone is created equal. However, in this case, like in George Orwell’s book Animal Farm, it now seems that “some people are more equal than others.” The French people are seemingly more deserving of “liberté, egalité, et fraternité,” liberty, equality, and brotherhood,  than those from Lebanon and Iraq.

Elie Faries, a Lebanese doctor, commented on selective mourning on his blog, “A Separate State of Mind”: “When my people died, no country bothered to light up its landmarks in the colors of their flag. When my people died, they did not send the world into mourning. Their death was but an irrelevant fleck along the international new cycle, something that happens in those parts of the world.”

Many Lebanese commentators are upset about how, in the eyes of the media, Arab lives matter less.

There are reasons that people use for selective mourning. Beirut can be considered a war zone, and Iraq is not a country many fawn over. Paris is the city of love; the city of light. France is not “known” for terrorism – that makes it more of a tragedy. However, Beirut has had a peaceful year, and just because Iraq has many issues with terrorism, it does not make the attacks there any less devastating. Suicide bombings are not a normal part of war, nor is the intentional murder of civilians.

This selective solidarity needs to stop. It is time to pay attention to Lebanon, Iraq and France, along with whatever country is attacked by terror, be it Peru or the United States. It is not true solidarity if only one of many attacked countries is stood up for.