I write this in response to the recent terrorist attacks in Belgium on March 22th.
When I came home from work on Tuesday, I turned on the news and watched chaos and destruction. I am not particularly partial to watching the news, but this hit really close to home. I watched in shock and horror, not completely able to grasp exactly what I was watching.
Privileged as I have been most of my life, this kind of violence and terrorism are things that I watch on television or read about in the newspapers.
As my kids walked in, I felt a strong need to give them some sort of explanation or assurance that they were safe. I couldn’t. I was at a loss for words at that moment.
“Terrorists fight a war against unarmed women, children and elders,” I said. “They fight innocent people instead of playing by the rules and fighting against soldiers. That is what’s so wrong about terrorism. These victims had nothing to do with any war whatsoever. There were just living their lives.”
The news reporter switched to his colleagues in Beirut.
“What are the responses there?” he asked.
“People are shocked and appalled,” the reporter answered. “Although there are some who are happy that ISIS has been able to strike one of their enemies.”
I for one couldn’t understand why that was being reported hours after the attack. I can only imagine what it would feel like to lose a loved one to terrorism and to hear that people are cheering about it.
It was another hate seed being planted.
But sometimes my heart is flooded with fear and my mind worries about the future. It is not the terrorist attacks that scare me the most. What scares me the most is the growing intolerance against Muslims, refugees, and foreigners in Europe.
I see that hatred is growing, and bitter seeds of hate are being planted, watered, and rooted. My response is to double my efforts in teaching my children compassion, kindness and tolerance toward others. I realize that my reactions, my responses to these violent acts, will teach them how to respond to hate. So I refuse to be overwhelmed by fear or hatred. I grab onto hope and hold it tight.
On Friday, it was reported that in Brussels, people were writing messages of love and solidarity on the streets. The simple gesture of people writing with colored chalk warmed my heart.
Because if we are able turn to love instead of hatred, the terrorists haven’t won.
My heart goes out to the people affected by this tragedy.
“Hope is being able to see that there is light in spite of all the darkness.”
– Desmond Tutu –
How do you hold onto hope in the wake of terrorism? How do you talk to your children about it?
This is an original post to World Moms Blog by Mirjam of the Netherlands. Picture credit: Christine Organ.
Thank you for sharing your experience and perspective. I too am at a loss often to explain to my children the how and why of terrorism in our modern age. But as you said, I am very committed to teaching them that the actions of some do not speak for all. Especially being in the USA during this current election season and hearing the fear seeds you mentioned being planted everywhere, I am intentional about education and embracing love.
You are right Mirjam, we need to keep hope close. In fact, we are the ones building our kids tomorrow; We can’t let darkness overcome us.
Fear is everywhere these days. Anger too. We need to plant seeds of love instead.
My little one is too small but I pray that in the future I’ll be able to explain things the same way you are explaining them to your kids.
May we stay in light always. Thank you.
Here in Belgium, indeed, there was shock, a lot of it. But I was happy to read a lot of love-messages afterwards, even the same day. Yes, there were people yelling ‘I told you so’ and ‘we should send them all back’, referring to the refugees currently residing in our country. But those messages were quickly silenced by all the hope and love others sent back, including on television and radio. The hate-callers didn’t receive the attention they wanted, as tv and radio only covered the positive reactions.
As for our family, it was quite easy to find the light, because on that same day, we welcomed a new family member. A little girl, of which my husband will be the godfather, showed us that life goes on and that we must continue to believe in hope for the future to come.
Honestly hope is the most difficult to hold on to but the most crucial. I believe that the main reason for these attacks is, as you said, to plant a seed of hate and terror for anything and everything Arab and Muslim in the hopes that building this hate with make the 1 billion muslims of the world hate others in return. 1 billion…
For them to say that people in Beirut are cheering truly baffles me as we in this region are the most who have been killed and terrorised by ISIS. I am not Lebanese but I know Lebanon has taken in 1 million Syrian refugees in a country of 4.8 million. They are living with the people who have seen first hand what ISIS do. Also, Lebanon is a culturally and religiously diverse country with muslim (sunni and shiite) and christians living, working and governing together.
It is such a shame that we have to live in this world now where we have to explain these things to our children almost on a daily basis.