Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, and the sixth richest man on earth, recently posted his thoughts about the series of terrorist attacks this month via his social media website.
“Each of these attacks was different, but all had a common thread: they were carried out with a goal to spread fear and distrust, and turn members of a community against each other”
However, Zuckerberg believes that turning against one another and having an increased distrust of other people will only help those who “seek to divide” people.
And so the social media mogul said that, aside from spreading hate, fear, and distrust, a “sustainable way to fight back” these terrorist attacks is to spread love, understanding, and empathy.
“Where every single person in every country feels connected and cared for and loved. That’s the world we can and must build together.”
Some terrorist attacks have rocked the world in recent weeks, one of which took place in Ankara, Turkey, where 37 people were killed, and 125 were wounded in a bomb explosion. The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons were said to be responsible for the bombing, as they detonated the bomb in Guvenpark.
Dozens of young lives were lost in the Easter terrorist attack in #Lahore : https://t.co/5V0p81i1Uz pic.twitter.com/f2HyxHXsEb
— CNN (@CNN) March 29, 2016
A few days later, ISIS suicide bombers triggered three bombs within Belgium’s capital, Brussels, killing 35 people. ISIS terrorists then attacked the city airport and a subway station, wounding another 300 people.
While the earlier attacks already claimed lives and spread terror throughout Europe and Western Asia, no one was prepared for the Easter Sunday bombings in Pakistan.
A terrorist group that is affiliated with Al Qaeda detonated a bomb in a crowded park in Lahore, Pakistan. At that time, children and families were gathered in the park and relaxing because it was Easter Sunday.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a member of the group, claimed responsibility for the bombing and said that they wanted to target the Christian community in the country. And so, they chose to launch the bombing on Easter, which killed 70 people and wounded 300 more.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claims responsibility of Lahore blast https://t.co/6TzJ3EnBMP pic.twitter.com/l5oQn8yS5O
— Dunya News (@DunyaNews) March 29, 2016
While Zuckerberg’s call for understanding and love has already sparked debates in social and political circles, a former defense official openly criticized his message.
Jed Babbin, a former deputy undersecretary of defense, said that the Facebook CEO’s call is ridiculous.
“I can’t do anything but laugh,” he said in an interview , also saying that such statements are only good for a 12-year-old girl.
Politically correct counterterrorism ranges from dangerously stupid to enormously stupid. https://t.co/6WJ1bYhc4A
— Jed Babbin (@jedbabbin) March 28, 2016
Babbin, who worked for former President George H. W. Bush, expressed that countries such as Belgium, and other parts of Europe, experience terrorist attacks because they are simply not prepared for them.
However, the biggest problem according to him is that these countries cannot force Muslim populations to assimilate because their religion is their identity. For Muslims, assimilation could mean threatening their entire religion and belief system.
In an article written by Babbin for The American Spectator , he argued that what countries should have is the courage to fight.
Meanwhile, Facebook recently came under fire after it triggered a security feature following the Lahore bombings, asking its users whether they were safe. The odd thing is that these users are not located anywhere near the area.
Facebook Thought Most Of The World Was In Pakistan After A Terrorist Attack https://t.co/4UMrOHS9pB pic.twitter.com/jSRrza2gtb
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) March 27, 2016
This morning we activated Safety Check in Pakistan after a bomb targeted children and their families in a park in…
Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Sunday, March 27, 2016
Zuckerberg commented that they had been using the feature in the past so that Facebook users can let their friends and loved ones know that they are safe following a terrorist attack.