After the terrorist attacks in Paris, Beirut and Baghdad over the weekend, a vigil will be held on Nov. 16 to pay respect to the victims whose lives were lost.
Christina Thibodeau, a sophomore international development and relations major, organized the vigil, which will be held at 5 p.m. at Frog Baby. SGA will be partnering with Thibodeau to organize the event.
“I want to give people a chance to pay their respects for the victims of the three attacks we’re focusing on and also raise awareness of what’s happening and how the media has been ignoring the attacks in Beirut and Baghdad,” Thibodeau said. “[What happened in] France is definitely a big deal, but other people need to be acknowledged too.”
Approximately 200 people were killed and hundreds more injured in the three attacks due to ISIS bombings and gunmen.
In Paris on Nov. 13, 129 people were killed after the deadliest violence on its soil since World War II, according to the Associated Press.
Seven attackers launched gun attacks at Paris cafes, detonated suicide bombs near France's national stadium and killed hostages inside the concert venue during a show by an American rock band—an attack on the heart of the pulsing City of Light.
In Beirut, a suburb that is a stronghold of the militant Shiite Hezbollah group was struck by two suicide bombings on Nov. 12, killing at least 43 people in one of the deadliest attacks in recent years in Lebanon.
In Baghdad, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a suicide blast and a roadside bombing that targeted Shiites on Nov. 13, killing a total of 26 people and wounding dozens.
Also Nov. 13 in Baghdad, a roadside bomb detonated at a Shiite shrine in Sadr City, killing at least five people and wounding 15, police officials said. Hospital officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to talk to reporters.
Since the emergence of IS extremists, Baghdad has seen near-daily attacks, with roadside bombs, suicide blasts and assassinations targeting Iraqi forces and government officials, with significant casualties among the civilian population.
“I think we should care because we are apart of this world,” Thibodeau said. “It’s something we are moving on to claim when we’re older and we need to know what’s happening in the world and know that there are people who need our help—not just in America, but also throughout the world.”
Thibodeau compiled a list of 82 victims and created small profiles for each. She will be passing out those profiles to the attendees at the vigil so each person will silently remember that victim.
“People can pray however their faith dictates or however they feel most comfortable,” she said.
A call to action will be shared after that, as well as a handout with other ways people can help.
“[The vigil] doesn’t need to be long to be effective,” Thibodeau said.
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