A FEW days ago the world watched in awe as we saw news footage of how the Islamic State (IS) conducted co-ordinated terrorist attacks in France, killing club revellers and other innocent people.
When the bullets flew, they did not discriminate against whites, blacks, Asians, Muslims or Christians, residents or visitors.
Among the dead were also some Muslims, refugees and Africans.
One woman who had travelled all the way from Senegal to visit her sister in France was among the dead.
According to a BBC news article: ‘Paris attacks: Who were the victims?’, some of the victims were visitors from the UK, Belgium, Germany, Algeria and Latin-America.
Among the dead was also a 23-year-old black man, Hugo Sarrade, killed at the Bataclan concert.
According to BBC, Sarrade was studying at a university in Montpellier and had gone to Paris to spend the weekend with his father.
Among the dead were also two Algerians, one Moroccan architect and teacher Amine Ibnolmobarak (29).
An American student also died, but many immigrants in Europe are now feeling that the Paris attacks will be used by racists to make the lives of immigrants unbearable.
Some are already feeling the backlash.
At Camp Calais, a refugee camp in France where there are many migrants from Sudan, North Africa and East-Africa who are waiting for an opportunity to come to the UK was set on fire by French racists.
On November 14, The Mirror reported: ‘Calais migrant camp on fire as France reels from Paris terror attacks’.
This was followed by a more detailed report: “Fire broke out in the ‘Jungle’ refugee camp near Calais last night – just hours after the terror attacks in Paris.
“At around 11pm, volunteers helping migrants and refugees living in the northern French port shared pictures and videos on social media.
“One aid worker told Mirror Online that around 40 shelters were destroyed when an ‘absolutely massive’ fire broke out in a Sudanese area.”
Most people I socialise with are afraid that we (migrants) will be seen as the problem.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a Christian, non-Muslim, born in the UK or not.
An immigrant is an immigrant in the face of many Europeans.
“We will suffer because of racism,” one of my friends, a social worker said.
“Things are going to be tough for us.”
Her feelings are shared by many people.
Already, some far-right parties and anti-immigrant movements in France and Germany are capitalising on the Paris attacks.
In Germany, the Daily Mail reports that: “The year-old PEGIDA protest movement – short for ‘Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident’ – held some protests in the eastern city of Dresden, having attracted their highest-ever turnout of 25 000 after the January attacks against the Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris.”
They blamed Chancellor Angela Merkel for allowing thousands of Syrian refugees into Europe/Germany.
In Holland, Geert Wilders, an anti-immigrant politician, twitted: “Will you listen at last: Close the borders!” in a message directed towards the Dutch government.
In France, the French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, also called for France to halt the intake of migrants with immediate effect.
However, many people think she will take the Paris attacks as an opportunity to be elected French president.
In Hungary, the anti-immigrant PM, Viktor Orban, also joined the anti-immigrant debate, saying Europe should ‘forget political correctness’ and close borders to migrants.
In the UK, a 43-year-old woman in Oxfordshire was arrested by the Thames Valley Police for posting racist messages on her facebook page.
She had posted: “Sorry, but time to put my country first.
“Blinks of Bicester is no longer taking bookings from anyone from the Islamic faith whether you are UK granted with passport or not.”
She later wrote: “I have been inundated with messages tonight as I said I would not book any muslin (sic) or Islamic client.
“I stand by that completely as a UK citizen.”
But while many European anti-immigrant leaders, especially those in opposition who want to seize an opportunity to get elected into office are condemning immigrants, Jeremy Corbyn, the UK opposition leader (Labour), has challenged the media to cover other terrorists attacks elsewhere and not just Paris because, “A life is a life” (The Mirror).
He also said, “What happened in Paris was appalling.
“This is a vibrant, multicultural city, young people of all faiths and older people as well, all there together and cultures, and this terrible thing happened.
“Likewise, which didn’t unfortunately get hardly any publicity was the bombing in Beirut last week or the killing in Turkey.
“I think our media needs to be able to report things that happen outside Europe as well as inside Europe.”
Wise words from Jeremy Corbyn, but he is now facing a backlash from many politicians and the media.
He doesn’t believe bombing Syria is the solution.
He told Prime Minister David Cameron that: “It’s vital at a time of such tragedy and outrage not to be drawn into responses which feed a cycle of violence and hatred.
“President Obama has said ISIS grew out of our invasion of Iraq and it’s one of its unintended consequences.
“Will you consider this as one of the very careful responses that President Obama has made recently on this matter?”
In Russia, President Vladimir Putin has many questions for those who created the Islamic State.
Speaking to the media in Russia, he said, “Who on earth created them?
“Who armed the Syrians that are fighting with Assad?
“Who created the necessary political informational climate that facilitated this situation?
“Who pushed for the delivery of arms to the area?
“Do you really not understand as to who is fighting in Syria?
“They are mercenaries mostly.
“Do you understand they are paid money?
“Mercenaries fight for whichever side pays more.”
Two weeks ago a Russian Airbus A321 plane was brought down by what is now believed to be a bomb planted by IS in one of the luggages, killing all 224 people on board.
The IS is a threat to everyone, black or white, Muslim or Christian, African or European.
The Paris attacks should not be used as an excuse to practise racism against immigrants.