As soon as the news of the attacks broke, even though there was no evidence and practically nothing was known about the attackers, the far right immediately latched on to the violence as an opportunity to demonise Muslims and refugees from Muslim-majority countries. The posts on social media went from bad to horrific within hours.
But one man wrote a simple message of truth and restraint, step forward Nadar Atassi.
Since it was discovered and posted on Twitter and Facebook his post has been shared tens of thousands of times and viewed by over 3 million people and is still rising.
"Attacks like the ones tonight in Paris are committed to purposely trigger an Islamophobic backlash. That backlash is not an unintended consequence of such attacks, it is part of their logic. ISIS types want an Islamophobic backlash because it lends credence to their narrative that there is a war between the West and Islam. By strengthening and emboldening the xenophobic right-wing in Europe, they strengthen their own worldview as well. And the most tragic irony is that that backlash may target refugees who themselves had been fleeing ISIS' reign of terror.
Thoughts with everyone in Paris tonight. May the forces who wish to beget an apocalyptic "war of civilizations" be defeated."
Of course, inevitably, many haters attempted to reject his message.
The real truth behind his message is simple, it is true and a verifiable fact that Da'esh want to inflame tensions between Muslim and none Muslims.
"Two primary groups: One, Islamic extremist groups themselves, who use the clampdown as "evidence" that there is supposedly no room for Muslims in the secular West that has declared war on Islam; and two, Europe's growing far-right, who will use the attacks as "evidence" that there is supposedly no room for Muslims in the secular West that should declare war on Islam.
Although enemies, both groups share a congruence of interests. The far-right wants Muslims and refugees from Muslim-majority countries (even if they are not Muslim) to leave because it sees them as innately violent terrorists. Islamic extremists want Muslim refugees to leave so they can be radicalized and join their caliphate.
More specifically, to name names, ISIS and al-Qaeda will benefit from the clampdown on Muslims and refugees, and Europe's growing far-right movement will continue to recruit new members with anti-Muslim and anti-refugee propaganda.
ISIS has explicitly stated that its goal is to make extinct what it calls the "grayzone" — that is to say, Western acceptance of Muslims. The "endangerment" of the grayzone "began with the blessed operations of September 11th, as those operations manifested two camps before the world for mankind to choose between, a camp of Islam … and a camp of kufr — the crusader coalition," wrote ISIS in its own publication."
At the time of writing this, the post is still being shared far and wide and the message is still getting out there.
Don't help the terrorist Da'esh by spreading Islamaophobic hate. Don't feed the far right and their extreme ideology.
Peace.
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