The world remembers the barbaric attack in Paris that killed 130 people last year. The Paris attack in France on November 13, 2015 killed several innocent people and wounded hundreds others. This was a cowardly action that shook the world once again. Shaken but not defied. ISIS proudly claimed responsibility for the act of violence. Salah Abdeslam, was one of the heavily armed men who were prepared to blow themselves in the name of Islam. He changed his mind at the scene and was since on the run. His recent arrest comes to prove that you cannot be running away from justice far too long. Ironically he has hired a lawyer to defends his human rights and ultimately fight extradition. This is a man who had no respect or esteem to others’ human rights or choice of life. This is an individual who could not even owe his actions and face consequences in the name of his beliefs and principles or even blow himself up like his comrades did. He will, nevertheless, use the justice system to defend his civil liberties.

Just recently, on the 14th March 2016 in the city of Grand-Bassam in Ivory Coast 16 people were cold-bloodedly killed by so called affiliate of Al Qaeda. This is another heinous attack on harmless and defenceless individuals. It was reported that the gunmen shouted, 'Allahu akbar, which in Arabic means God is great before the rampage. We wonder how and why some people would even think that God could approve such monstrous and odious attack. We would otherwise question the existence of such God. Amongst the victims, as reported, was a little boy who did not speak Arabic therefore was not considered worth living and despite his repeated pleas he was gunned down. Another boy who knelt and starting praying in Arabic was spared. The boy who was murdered was found to be Christian. As if one life is worthier than another.

‘No life is worthier than another,  are we not the children of the same creator?’

The attack in Ivory Coast did not capture a prime spot on International media compared to the Paris attack, may be because of the scale of victims but also France being a powerful European country by default attracts a lot more interest. For most of us both attacks were despicable. Killing of innocent and harmless people in any scale is unacceptable.  Taking the lives of pure little souls is a very bestial behaviour that even God would not forgive.

A number of facts to be learnt from the Paris attack, and other attacks around the world- they are not the work of Islam. Law abiding and decent Muslims have dissociated themselves from such savagely acts. Though perhaps their condemnation ought to be more openly and publicly publicised. Far from the political and religious aspects- this is about compassion, respect, tolerance and understanding of others, accepting that whilst we are all different we are the children of the same God. Let God does the judging!