Last night, the Russian Ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, was shot dead at a photo gallery in Ankara, Turkey. Turkish police killed the gunman while he was shouting, “We die in Aleppo, you die here.”
Okay so, we as Arabs have been exposed to tragic news for years now, and as much as we think we’re used to it, it’s always devastating to hear about it. But lately, people’s reaction to such crimes and events have been very disturbing. Very disturbing. I’m not talking about religion extremists who consider the gunman a hero, I’m talking about your everyday friend, neighbor and cousin. People who are ‘usually’ kind, compassionate and educated but somehow think this act of violence was justified because there is war in Aleppo. People who think it is okay to kill a man because his country is killing people.
Guys, let us break it down for you. This ambassador was not just a Russian politician, he was a son, a father, a friend and a husband. He is a human being, and somehow, we have become numb to the idea of murder. The guy hasn’t been shot for 30 minutes and memes of him already surfaced everywhere online, making fun of how impeccable the gunman looks and discussing the great photo that was taken. He didn’t deserve this, the thousands of people in Aleppo didn’t deserve this. The situation is gut-wrenching, but violence will not solve anything.
Where is the love? Where is our humanity? How can we blame one person for the death of thousands in Syria? Why are we cheering for terrorism? Does that make all of us ISIS fighters deep down in our subconscious? Stop spreading hate, for it will bring nothing but bloodshed.
WE SAID THIS: I can’t believe I’m writing this, but killing is never okay.