The chill of the harmattan in the air can no longer be mistaken, just like the chill that ran down our spines yesterday at the news of what happened in Paris. Gruesome shootings and bomb blasts that left dozens of people dead, several others injured and a whole lot more stranded for hours away from their home.
While I have never seen the sense in terrorism (nobody has, except maybe terrorists), it still defies my logic how killing random everyday people on the streets helps to achieve any worthwhile aim.
I am saddened and angered at the same time, because people like each of us - with dreams, hopes, plans and more - were killed yesterday, and life goes on with all of their dreams, and plans and everything else just dead, like that.
While I have never seen the sense in terrorism (nobody has, except maybe terrorists), it still defies my logic how killing random everyday people on the streets helps to achieve any worthwhile aim.
I am saddened and angered at the same time, because people like each of us - with dreams, hopes, plans and more - were killed yesterday, and life goes on with all of their dreams, and plans and everything else just dead, like that.
I woke up this morning, happy that it was a Saturday, until the memories of last night's news started flooding back, and the news items Google had waiting for me were just too painful to bear.
The Daily Mail reported over 150 people dead (that's more than the number of classmates I had this graduation year).
More inspiring though, is the spirit of solidarity that Parisians displayed towards each other - by keeping their doors open to people on the streets of the city at the time of these attacks and spreading the message on social media with the hash-tag #PorteOverte meaning open doors.
While President Obama rightly describes this as"an attack on humanity and the universal values we all share"; and the angst and sadness of it all transcends bothers, race and religious lines, something needs to be said (and done) about Islam.
Ironically, it is the famed religion of peace, but it has brought the world so much problem in the last couple of years that Islam is starting to seem like the biggest threat to world peace. While I agree that being a Muslim does not make you a terrorist, we would all understand my view that Islam needs a cleansing.
There are quite a number of religions in the world today, and none of their members seem to generate as much bloodshed as fanatics of Islam.
Eyewitnesses in Paris yesterday reported the terrorists saying this was about Syria, Iraq and
according to a woman in the restaurant where shots first broke out near the Bataclan, a gunman shouted 'Allah Akbar' (God is great in Arabic) before firing.
Islamic leaders need to do more than talk. They need to accept that their religion has been bastardized, the tenets and teachings of it misused by misguided individuals; and take proactive steps to clean it up and save the world.
Someone said on Twitter that Islam was fighting WWIII against the world...and that person may not be very far from the truth in the light of recent happenings.
Our thoughts are with Paris and its people, taking a second hit this year, 10 months after the Charlie Hebdo massacre.
Stay strong Paris. Mere terrorists cannot break the will of all of us. Our prayers are with you all.
The Daily Mail reported over 150 people dead (that's more than the number of classmates I had this graduation year).
More inspiring though, is the spirit of solidarity that Parisians displayed towards each other - by keeping their doors open to people on the streets of the city at the time of these attacks and spreading the message on social media with the hash-tag #PorteOverte meaning open doors.
While President Obama rightly describes this as"an attack on humanity and the universal values we all share"; and the angst and sadness of it all transcends bothers, race and religious lines, something needs to be said (and done) about Islam.
Ironically, it is the famed religion of peace, but it has brought the world so much problem in the last couple of years that Islam is starting to seem like the biggest threat to world peace. While I agree that being a Muslim does not make you a terrorist, we would all understand my view that Islam needs a cleansing.
There are quite a number of religions in the world today, and none of their members seem to generate as much bloodshed as fanatics of Islam.
Eyewitnesses in Paris yesterday reported the terrorists saying this was about Syria, Iraq and
according to a woman in the restaurant where shots first broke out near the Bataclan, a gunman shouted 'Allah Akbar' (God is great in Arabic) before firing.
Islamic leaders need to do more than talk. They need to accept that their religion has been bastardized, the tenets and teachings of it misused by misguided individuals; and take proactive steps to clean it up and save the world.
Someone said on Twitter that Islam was fighting WWIII against the world...and that person may not be very far from the truth in the light of recent happenings.
Our thoughts are with Paris and its people, taking a second hit this year, 10 months after the Charlie Hebdo massacre.
Stay strong Paris. Mere terrorists cannot break the will of all of us. Our prayers are with you all.
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