Paris City of Light, City of Darkness (for now) Julia Suryakusuma  ;  The author of Julia’s Jihad

                                               JAKARTA POST, 18 November 2015

                                                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                                                           

The first time I visited Paris I was 20, six months pregnant with my son Aditya. I went by car, with my brother, sister and Frans, a friend who was driving. On the highway, we got chased by a police car. We drove into a gas station and I got out. The police caught up with us and asked Frans, “Do you know that you were going over the speed limit?” “Yes,” Frans answered calmly, “there’s a pregnant woman on board and she needed to go to the toilet urgently,” pointing to me and my big belly as I rushed to relieve myself. The police could say nothing. They just nodded their heads and walked away. Obviously they had also had pregnant wives and knew that expecting women often needed to go to the toilet urgently due to the pressure on the bladder from their expanding womb. Since that time, I have returned to Paris alone several times — to visit friends, watch movies (Paris is one of the great film capitals in the world), walk along the Seine, visit Le Louvre, Montmartre, Centre Pompidou and other iconic Paris tourist attractions, and to just generally enjoy the beauty and charm of Paris and the joie de vivre of the Parisiennes. I usually stayed with friends who lived just across from the Notre Dame, so I woke up every morning to the clanging of cathedral bells. Except for the time when my wallet was stolen while riding the Metro, I felt safe in Paris. But at this moment, tragically, safe is not a word that I — or others — associate with Paris. The beautiful memories of the city in my youth have been brutally ripped away and La Ville Lumiere (the City of Light), is now shrouded in darkness and sorrow after the brutal attack by IS terrorists which claimed the lives of 129 people, critically wounded 99, and injured 352. It was the deadliest attack on France since World War II. No wonder, in his emotional address right after the attack, President Hollande stated “This is an act of war prepared from outside of France, […] against a free country, which speaks to the whole planet…. France will be ruthless against the barbarians of Daech [the French word for DAISH-IS]” Hollande wasted no time to prove his words. In less than 24 hours after making his statement, in retaliation for the Paris terror attacks on that fateful Friday the 13th, 10 fighter planes had dropped 20 bombs on IS training camps in Raqqa. I was horrified by the attacks on Paris, but while I understood the instant reaction of Hollande, I was also very worried by the potential repercussions of his immediate response. As we well know, violence begets violence. As president of France, I realize he is expected to demonstrate “strong” leadership at a time of great crisis, and to act according to how the electorate expects him to act. Unfortunately, this is not just about France. It’s about the world and about who will be affected by the actions that Western states like France and the US will take. It’s about the future of the world that my grandson — yes, the offspring of the baby I was carrying in my womb 40 years ago — will live in. I devoured everything that was written about the Paris attacks, especially analytical pieces that took a historical, reflective and considered perspective, to get a deeper understanding of the situation. Many discussed the unfolding backlash — not just from Islamist terrorists, but also from populist right wing parties, against refugees and immigrants in Europe, notably those from North African origin or those that embrace the Islamic faith. Angela Merkel is known for her open-door policy on refugees. After the Paris attack, she was heavily criticized and urged to reverse her stance and turn people away. She stood her ground, saying those fleeing war zones shouldn’t have to bear the blame for the terrorist attacks in Paris. Yes! You rock Angie! Just prior to the Paris attack, a Shia neighborhood in Southern Beirut was hit, resulting in more than 40 dead and dozens of seriously wounded. There were also deadly attacks in Ankara, Afghanistan, Pakistan and many other locations where Muslims died. But the (predominantly Western) media hardly made mention of those events, unlike their reportage of the Paris attack. Yesterday’s issue of The Jakarta Post published an article by Anis H. Bajrektarevic, chairman and professor in international law and global political studies, Vienna, entitled “No more war on terror, please, Europe needs de-Nazification”. He was of course, referring to right-wing fascist and neo-nazi groups. “Fascism and its evil twin, Nazism are 100 percent European ideologies. Neo-Nazism also originates from and lately unchecked blossoms, primarily in Europe”. Bajrektarevic also points out that terrorism is a tactic, not an ideology; “How can one conduct and win war on tactics?” Harleen Gambhir wrote about “The Islamic State’s Trap for Europe” (Washington Post, Nov. 15), about how Western states are playing into IS’ hands, and how protracted sectarian warfare in the Middle East is a clear and present danger to European and US safety and security at home. So, OK, bomb Syria. It’s like trying to kill one mosquito while a gazillion others are buzzing around and being born in ever increasing numbers. I am really looking forward to the time when I can go visit Paris with my grandson Amartya and tell him, “Amar, this is the great nation where the notion of Liberté, égalité, fraternité originated and inspired so many other nations”. I hope that France will inspire yet again. ●