简体中文
By APD Writer Chu Yin
(Translated by Ma Qian)
Deadly terror attacks rocked Europe once again on August 17 and 18. The Spanish city of Barcelona bore the brunt, followed by Germany and Finland.
Barcelona attack
The attacks were blatant and bloody. In Barcelona, a high-speed van wildly rammed crowds on Las Ramblas, a famous boulevard downtown, claiming 14 lives.
2 Dead in Stabbing Attack in Western Finland
In Finland, two people were killed and six others wounded in a stabbing assault in the southwestern city of Turku. The German city of Wuppertal-Elberfeld was also hit by a stabbing incident, with one person killed and one injured.
Yet compared with the previous deadly assaults in Paris, Brussels and London, the latest spate of attacks seemed “quieter”. Only a few people shared relevant news when I checked my friends’ updates at Wechat, a Chinese social media mobile application. Likewise, they did not make a trending topic on Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter, or on the home page of Baidu, a leading Chinese search engine.
On the home pages of major Western media’s websites, including CNN, BBC and the New York Times, although there were reports on the latest terror attacks in Europe, the most conspicuous space was given to stories about U.S. President Donald Trump ousting his chief strategist, Steve Bannon.
Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris in 2015
Actually, since the Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris in 2015, terror attacks scourged Europe every year. Yet news coverage and public attention on relevant issues have begun to fade. This time, it seemed that the public had got used to this type of incidents. However, this kind of adapting should cause much concern over the dangers it would cause.
Suspect of the Barcelona deadly attack
On August 17 and 18,
The suspect of the Barcelona deadly attack was reportedly born in Tunisia. Consequently, prejudice against and even hatred of Muslims were once again intensified in Europe and across the world. However, problems hiding behind have yet to be solved.
Extremists are still spreading fallacies and recruiting followers through the Internet and social media. However, Western countries can do nothing due to “freedom of speech.” The Middle East has long been plagued by warfare. There are still numbers of refugees trying to escape to Europe. And those who have fled their homeland are now roving around countries on the European continent.
Back in their countries, they might have a family, a decent job and their own cars and houses. But now they live in refugee camps and are often given the cold shoulder. Their chances of getting hired, even as a part-time worker, are slim. For example, in France, the unemployment rate of white locals hovers at 10 percent. How could it be possible for outsiders from the Middle East to get the not-so-many job opportunities in the country?
The vicious circle of “discrimination -- hatred -- attacks” has been repeated over and again in Europe and even the entire Western world. Anyone who bears a grudge are likely to take anything at hand as a weapon to go on a rampage on the street at any time.
European integration, which has gone through ups and downs during the past 70 years after World War II, now seems more dubious. The 28 members of the Europe Union did become wealthy together. But it now appears that they cannot share hardships.
Now that the free flow of people in the Schengen area is mixed with suspects of terror attacks, how to coordinate among different nations? How to coordinate command, law enforcement and prevention?
Political elites in European nations definitely know that the social crux of the problems behind is related to issues on comprehensive, systematic and cross-border social governance. But it is really worrying that how long their credibility can sustain among the public.
London terror attack scene on Westminster Bridge
Britain is leaving the EU. In France, although Macron defeated far-right leader Le Pont, the established central-left Socialist Party and central-right Republican Party both got a thumping. In Germany, as far-right extremism is itching for a try, it remains to be seen whether Merkel could lead the Christian Democratic Union to hold a rational German government.
Ordinary citizens do not quite understand that. When complex problems come out, they normally resort to simple yet reckless solutions, only to make things worse or even appalling.
Therefore, less attention on news coverage on violent attacks means exactly more danger, as the public might become numb in front of severe challenges. Politicians seeking for votes would also be likely to turn a deaf ear to issues that gather little public attention.
Yet once those ignored problems erupted, escalated out of hand and led to unimaginable disasters, it would be too late to regret.
Chu Yin, researcher of APD institute.is an associate professor in public relations with the University of International Relations, a researcher at the National Research Institute of Security and Government Law, and also a researcher at China Overseas Interest Protection Research Institute.
APD Review columnists are senior media workers and international issues experts with rich experience in international reporting.They comment on current international affairs from unique perspectives in accordance with the Asia-Pacific Daily’s notion of originality, exclusiveness, profundity, openness and interconnection.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
