Pray for Paris: Paris Terror Attack
On 13 November 2015, terrorists on a murderous rampage killed scores of people in multiple attacks in the capital of France. Explosions and gunpowder erupted in cafés, restaurants and music venues resulting in countless deaths of innocents. This horrific incident had put France and the entire world into a complete chaos. It was deemed to be the deadliest act of terrorism on French soil.
It was a peaceful Friday evening until armed terrorists suspected to be masterminded by Abdelhamid Abaaound divided up into three teams and went on a killing spree. Three attackers blew up themselves with suicide belts nearby the State de France, where the French president François Hollande was among the crowd watching the football match against Germany. 39 people were shot dead at three restaurants, along with the third assault on the Bataclan theatre that led to approximate 89 deaths. The death toll of this indiscriminate attack was over 130 at six sites across the city and also resulted in 368 injuries. A nationwide state of emergency was declared and temporary border checks were introduced in response.
In the wake of such horror, questions swirled concerning the cause of the attack, and the extremist Islamic State terrorist group claimed responsibility to the event. The recent shifts in France’s political atmosphere as well as its conflicts offer clues to what makes it such an attractive target. France’s prohibition on the public display of Muslim faith seems to be one of the causes of the event. Its foreign policy may have added to the cause, as the terrorists vowed that their vicious attack was “only the beginning of the storm” to punish France for its airstrikes against the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq. Apart from the causes for the attack, France has always been vulnerable to such terror attacks as its tolerant immigration policy has made it difficult to filter those with malicious intent.
The Paris terror attack had severely impacted the entirety of the world for the threat of terror had aroused anxiety and apprehensions amongst the society. Further, the event encouraged several countries to enforce their laws in preparation for military force. Global economy may be damaged due to the investors’ reluctance on making investments bearing the risk of additional terrorism on major cities and increased chaos after military intervention in the Middle East. In addition, there would also be a wide impact on the foreign policy of Europe especially in regard to immigration.
Four weeks has passed since the Paris terror attack, yet the world is struggling with the aftermath of the incident. For many people directly affected by the event, the scars, both physical and emotional, will endure. It would be of a significant importance for Korea to be strict on security measures as it could be the next target for an IS terror outrage.