November 27, 2015

The atrocious terrorist attacks in Paris that left over a 100 innocent people dead and a lot more injured has become the hot topic of conversation everywhere. France has declared three days of national mourning, and many more people worldwide are also using the social media to express their support and condolences for the French citizens.

Facebook has introduced a tool that lets people show solidarity by modifying their profile picture with red, white and blue- colours of the French flag. Millions of users have opted to change their profile photos, and along with the #PrayForFrance hashtag, they are showing unity and support over such a terrible tragedy.

Moreover, the popular social media site has also added a ‘Safety Check’ feature allowing people caught up in the attacks to inform their friends and families about their locations. This is similar to the feature that Facebook had introduced during the Nepal earthquakes earlier this year.

Although the tool was designed specifically for France, a lot of Bangladeshi users have been using this tool without comprehending the true meaning, thereby unwittingly sparking off a controversy. Hasib, a Bangladeshi Facebook users, opined that this happened primarily due to some Bangladeshis who got caught up in the frenzy and started using it without bothering to understand the true purpose of the function.

On the other hand, many have also raised the question that why such or tools aren’t designed for countries such as Syria, Palestine, Iraq or Afghanistan who have to face terrorist atrocities on a daily basis. Some have even accused Facebook and other international media of being biased towards specifically the developed countries. Arguing that condolences should be for all countries who have to deal with such tragedies, the question that why France should receive special treatment has indeed  struck up a storm in the social networks.

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