Football Fans and Facebook French Flag Filters

In the wake of the Paris attack, French flags are popping up all over Facebook as a symbol of solidarity with the French people who suffered at the hands of ISIS. Social pressure to include the Facebook encouraged red, white and blue filter on profile pictures mounted exponentially within hours, which is all well and good right? There's certainly nothing wrong with a little show of solidarity.

So why all the controversy? Why were Turkish football fans allegedly booing during a memorial minute's silence at a Turkey – Greece friendly football match?

The answer to this has been reconstructed by the right wing media to demonize Muslims, as per usual. The Daily Mail and The Sun have shone a dim light on a foreign culture they don't understand and used it to promote more hatred.

So that's the story they spin, Muslims everywhere are evil, but what's the flip side? What happens when we turn the light on?

As with most religions, there are various degrees of participants amongst the individual. It would be naive to think that there were no pro-ISIS members in the crowd, but it would be more so to believe that every one supported ISIS. Remember two bombs were detonated in Ankara on October 10th, so they have a recent reminder of the horrors of terrorism.

Explanations have now started to surface as to why this happened. Mustafa Ozsari, a Masters student, has given a thorough breakdown.

In short, it all comes down to culture. In Turkish culture, minute silences are rarely silent. Chanting can be heard throughout the crowd, a chant that respects the deceased and denounces the terrorists responsible. There's a funny irony that the people who claim that everyday Muslims should come out and denounce terrorism, yet when they do, it is misinterpreted thanks to an ignorant or conniving press. The chant 'Alluhu Akbar' was allegedly heard as The Daily Mail claims. In the video you can hear 'Şehitler ölmez, vatan bölünmez ', in English: 'Martyrs, they do not die (they are immortal), homeland (land, our land) is indivisible.'

There is another explanation. Turkish fans are upset with the hypocrisy of the Western world's ignorance towards similar attacks, specifically the attack in Ankara mentioned previously. This brings us back to the Facebook French Flag filter. There have been 298 terrorist attacks in 2015 so far. The highest death toll in a single attack has been over 2000, which happened between January 3rd and 7th in Nigeria. There weren't any Nigerian flags appearing on my news-feed then. In fact the Paris attack was the only attack that received this special attention.

When it comes down to it, these explanations seem contradictory, but in reality, people vary. It is probably that elements of both of these theories combine in the truth. Political views are different from person to person as much in Islamic countries as much as in Western civilizations, as does commitment to faith.

It is important to acknowledge that the Facebook French Flag filter users are not at fault here. Yes it is nice for the global stage to show this symbolic solidarity, the fault lies with Facebook. When the designer of the filter published this work, he was either horrendously ignorant to think that the Paris attack was an isolated incident, or he made a conscious decision and put a higher value on the lives of French people than people of other cultures. It is a starkly clear symbol that the world only cares when white westerners are murdered in the street.

The Fake Passport: Theories and Ideas Surrounding the Recent Co-Ordinated Terror Attacks

ISIS/ISIL have now claimed responsibility for three suicide attacks, and Brussels is now on lockdown due to an 'immediate threat'. First there was the takedown of a Russian airliner on October 31st, killing over 200 people. The western world reacted by, well, just getting on with their lives. Dead Russians aren't that important I guess. Then on the 12^th November, Lebanon suffered the worst attack since the civil war, I don't even remember seeing that in classical media, and there certainly isn't a Facebook option to put a Lebanese flag as a profile picture filter. Then of course, after the co-ordinated attacks on Paris on the 13^th of November, the rest world has been forced to weather the political storm that has arisen. The victims of this attack were white after all. Leaders, politicians, the media, bloggers, and anyone with a Facebook account, all have something to say on the matter. The discovery of a fake Syrian passport has led to pertinent questions and theories to arise. Be they valid arguments or wild conspiracy theories, here is a few of them.

Fake passport dumped by the ruling class/illuminati/aliens*

*delete as appropriate

As soon as the news report was released regarding a Syrian passport being found near one of the suicide bombers, people were cynical. It gave me a smile when I saw old school friends instantly question the authenticity of this claim, seeing the holes clearly on first glance. Whichever dominator you put into the equation (bourgeoisie, illuminati etc), whichever truth you believe, the theory is the same: someone placed the passport after the attack in order to use this information to sway opinion on refugees, tighten borders and increase both military and security funding. Whether this claim is substantial or not remains to be seen, but the motive is certainly there. Borders were instantly closed in France, and the security industry in the UK was given a huge injection of funds. With all the unanswered questions surrounding the 9/11 attacks in 2001, I suspect there is more to this story still to be revealed.

Regarding the immediately available facts, there were two initial questions I had: Why would a suicide bomber need a passport? And why was the passport not destroyed in the attack?

The second question can be resolved if we believe that the attacker with the passport was shot. Problem solved. The first question can be argued that the passport was used to cross borders legally. Fair enough, but something still doesn't add up there. Assuming the attacker used the passport to enter France, why would he need it for the attack? Surely he would have just destroyed it before leaving to meet the reaper. Which ever way you look at it, the passport placement was intentional. Which leads us into our second theory.

Fake passport intentionally taken by attacker

This one isn't too hard to believe. It makes sense that the presence of a Syrian passport would be taken to the attack, in order to encourage a racist backlash from western society. The government violence that follows acts of terrorism are predictable enough that the attackers themselves are aware of the consequences. The point is that when western society reacts by pointing anger at a particular country, it legitimizes any retaliation. Once a plan for retaliation or invasion is executed, that plan in turn legitimizes the ISIS cause. Civilians will be bombed and people will die, as with the US invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan after 9/11, and consequently, the ISIS recruitment will increase. It's easier to convince people to fight for you when there is an external evil attacking their land.

Global media will inevitably provide evidence of this theory by reacting with anger. The Daily Mail already published a controversial cartoon reminiscent of Nazi propaganda (see below), and even when the Calais migrant 'jungle' was ablaze in the wake of the Paris attack, the same paper downplayed any reports of a far-right reactionary attack and still managed to blame refugees. For the devout believers of the Daily Mail will give this hegemony a working class edge. When elections come around, this will be the key issue that elects the next government.

(Top image: Daily Mail cartoon referring to the refugee crisis, showing refugee's walking alongside rats into the EU. Bottom image: Nazi propaganda cartoons likening Jews to rats.) Credit

The xenophobic and racist reaction hinges on one key piece of misinformation: that all Muslims are the same. Pointing to and vilifying Islam makes for a simple clear picture for the masses to buy into, regardless of how far it is from the truth. It is likely that the attack in Lebanon was played down for this reason, as Muslims were the target of this attack. The story of Adel Termos, the Muslim man who sacrificed himself by tackling a suicide bomber and saving many lives, was hard to find in the daily press, as this would clash with the false idea that Islam is a big evil monster intent on taking over the world, as opposed to the reality that beliefs and views held by followers of Islam are as divided as those between Catholics and Protestants. Religion may be used as a tool for thought control in war torn countries at present, by ignorance and misinformation are major instruments in the western world.

Zionist Israel has a part to play

Israel had a part to play in the attack. To start, there is no evidence of this, and as far as I know this isn't being discussed (at least outside neo-nazi circles) but there is a possible motive here. With France taking actions to recognize the state of Palestine in a two-state solution, and Spain issuing an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and six of his officials, it is clear that key members of the EU are looking at Israel.

So why would Israel help this horrific attack take place? Distraction.

It's not like these kinds of attack never happen in Israel's neck of the woods, quite the opposite, they happen everyday in the Gaza strip. A worldwide catastrophe would take the attention off of the Israel/Palestine conflict and the war crimes within, and potentially start a war.

Just an idea that one.

World War 3

Here's one more theory floating around. Paris was targeted and the passport was planted in order to start World War 3. With German Chancellor Merkel welcoming Syrian refugees with open arms, she blazed a trail the likes of which are few and far between, one of compassion (seemingly so at least). By increasing the terror alert in France and putting the blame on refugees, there is a chance that Merkel will be demonized for allowing 'potential terrorists' through the borders. A clash between France and Germany may divide Europe between left and right once again, and remember there is profit in war, though I think this result is highly unlikely.

So those are a few theories to be aware of as more evidence comes to light. The western world should show solidarity with the victims of these attacks, whatever colour their skin may be. We must also remember that the main goal of these attacks, whoever turns out to be involved, is fear. The fear of the masses is in the palm of their hands, but we must be strong and take an analytical and pragmatic approach to the situation that has occurred. Question all the stories you read, and question how the UK government can increase security funding with a crippled economy, but cannot sufficiently sustain the NHS, the privatization of which will take the back burner while this crisis dominates the papers. My thoughts are with all the victims of this tragedy, and with the sufferers of fear currently in Brussels.