The Vista
Notre Dame Academy * 3535 W. Sylvania Ave. * Toledo, OH 43623* Vol. 66 Issue 2* Dec. 15, 2015
Prayers for Victims of November Attacks
The November 12 Beirut bombing is considered to be the worst violence the city has seen since the onslaught of the Syrian Civil war. Attackers targeted the Shiite majority area of Burj al Berajneh, a southern suburb of Beirut. It involved two explosions that left 46 people dead and more than 239 wounded. Many fear these attacks will lead to a recurrence of the 12-week period of fear in 2013, during which militants dropped 8 bombs. For ISIS, Lebanon has been a significant target since the start of the Syrian Civil War. They have centered violent outbreaks on Hezbollah, the Shiite Lebanese paramilitary organization, supporting areas in retaliation for the group’s open support of the Syrian president. Beirut, unfortunately, was only the start of the violence. November 13th saw attacks on both Baghdad and Paris. In Baghdad, a single ISIS militant enacted a suicide bomb at the funeral of a pro-government
Shiite fighter. The blast killed 18 people and wounded 41. Paris, the largest of the three attacks, experienced the worst violence the city has seen since World War II. At six different locations, multiple shootings, a 100-person hostage crisis and several explosions resulted in the deaths of more than 150 people. At the Stade de France, France was playing Germany in a friendly football game, when nearby explosions were heard. At La Belle Equipe, Le Carillion bar, Le Petit Cambodge restaurant and La Casa Nostra restaurant, ISIS militants used gun attacks to wreak terror. The Bataclan concert venue became the sight of gun and suicide bomb attacks after a hostage crisis led to police infiltration of the building. Shortly after these attacks hit mainstream news, there was an immense outpouring of international love and solidarity, especially for the Parisian victims. French artist Jean Jullien created a symbolic depiction of the Eiffel Tower as the center and makeup of a peace sign that has been affectionately adopted on social media worldwide. “The use of social media after these attacks was a great reaction from the citizens around the world to send their support to a place where they might feel hopeless,” Gracey said. The wake of these terrorist attacks has left people wondering how to address this immense issue so as to deter future violence both domestically and internationally. “I think its education,” history teacher Dr. Kristine Malik said. “In so many regions of the world, the future for young people is really bleak, and I think that hopelessness for the future is what can potentially push someone into joining an extremist group. The question is how we educate these groups so that they understand that we as humans are more alike than different.”
In This Issue: Disabled GPA Page 4
Sex-trafficking and Prostitution Page 6
Ellen Buerk Over a period of roughly 48-hours, a series of terrorist attacks plagued the cities of Paris, France; Beirut, Lebanon; and Baghdad, Iraq. These attacks have been attributed to ISIS militants, well-known for their international use of violent military tactics. ISIS or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, also known simply as IS or Islamic State, is a jihadist extremist group that originally grew as a sector of al-Qaeda. Officially segregated in 2006, ISIS now operates independently and is international recognized as a violent terrorist group. ISIS adopts an extremist interpretation of traditional Islamic principles, perverting Islamic principles of peace and unity to advocate violence. The group is predominately in support of Sunni Islam and opposed to Shi’a Islam, the two major branches of the Islamic religion. During the past several months, the group has grown exceedingly aggressive, claiming responsibility for a Russian plane bombing that took place over the Sinai Peninsula on October 31 and continuing to heavily recruit new members in countries like the U.S. and Great Britain. “I really believe that these November attacks have frayed the trust between members of different countries,” junior Gracey Chung said. “At least 31 states in the U.S. have closed the door on refugees. While, I understand the fear that is in everyone’s minds nowadays, I truly believe this is from a lack of trust and from the US. These terror attacks have been bringing intense discrimination and ideological differences to light, when it should be a time of unity and coming together.” Over the course of two days, November 12-13, ISIS militants attacked three major capital cities and have left an atmosphere of terror and grief worldwide.
Student Council Candygrams Page 2
IB art student and senior Zahra Amin shows her support for the victims by embracing the Paris Peace sign.