Hundreds of innocent lives lost. Many more aching hearts. This week has been full of tragedies and mourning.
Justine Deroualliere, who is currently in Nimes, France, was a foreign exchange student at Colorado State University’s Equine Science program in fall of 2014.
Although Deroualliere is not currently in Paris, her mother is.
“Paris is a ghost town at this moment,” Deroualliere wrote in a message to the Collegian.
The French people are living in fear, anticipating what is to come. But although the attacks in Paris may have been the most prominent in the media, terrorist attacks have been happening all over the world in November.
Over 41 were killed and at least 200 were injured in two suicide bombings claimed by the Islamic State (ISIS) in Beirut, Lebanon on Thursday night, according to a report.
At least 26 were killed and 61 wounded in two anti-Shiite suicide attacks at a Shiite shrine and during a funeral in Baghdad, Iraq, according to another report.
What people saw in Paris Friday was once a daily reality for Mirna Ayshoa, a CSU chemical and biological graduate student from Iraq.
“I have been through a lot of dangerous situations, like explosions and personal death threats,” Ayshoa said. “Sometimes I wonder how I survived all of that.”
Ayshoa said she is very saddened by all that is happening around the world.
“I don’t want to see other beautiful places like Paris destroyed as my country was,” Ayshoa said.
Nobody is ever safe in Baghdad, Ayshoa said.
“People are always worrying about how they will survive the next day, and the world should not be prioritizing anyone’s life, because every life is equally important,” Ayshoa said.
While Deroualliere said she is thankful that the CSU community has been thinking of France, including the post that was made on CSU’s Facebook page, other students expressed their opinions with comments on the post such as, “We stand with humanity” and, “We stand against terrorism.”
Aisha Hassine, a third-year soil and crop science major, said she understands that everybody is angry with what is happening, but she fears the results of this anger.
“I fear the backlash will perpetuate more violence and people will interpret political and religious extremism in this false dichotomy and act upon already existing prejudices,” Hassine wrote in a message to the Collegian.
These recent attacks have made some students more aware of their blessings.
“Just because I live where I live doesn’t secure my safety,” Megan Glymph, a first-year business management student, wrote in a message to the Collegian. “I should never take my life for granted.”
Acknowledging the tragedy in Paris, Glymph talked about how it is sad for her to see the media not consider the other lives lost in Beirut, Baghdad and other places around the world.
“Just because it happens all the time in Middle Eastern countries doesn’t mean we can forget them,” Glymph wrote. “They are all innocent civilians dying and we should be more aware of how these tragic events affect everyone.”
Students are coming together to stand in solidarity with all tragedies that are happening around the world. CSU’s Muslim Student Association will host a moment of silence Tuesday for all victims of tragedies and attacks around the world at noon on the Lory Student Center Plaza.
“I am sad, angry, disappointed and frustrated,” Hassine wrote. “Nobody should be living in fear, and it is heartbreaking that so many people around the world are experiencing fear and terror every day.”
Collegian Reporter Israa Eldeiry can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @israaeldeiry.
