By: Norman Triangga *)
Jakarta, CIDISS – The role of social media in a number of global issues can’t be denied. For example, in the issue of terrorism. Maybe it has not faded from public and netizen’s (cyberspace public) memory that Paris has been attacked four months ago. On 13 November 2015, the city that has been known as the City of Mode is being attacked by terrorist. No half-hearted, there are six locations that has being targeted by those assailant. Then, it has been reported that at least 132 people were killed and hundreds is wounded.
While most of the public, including netizen still traumatized by the events that befall Paris, there are a number of terror attacks that hit major cities in various parts of the world. One of those is Ankara, Turkey. A huge explosion rocked a military headquarters near the city of Ankara on February 17, 2016. As a result of the blast, 37 people stretchable lives and 132 others were injured. The international community was again in mourning, saw dozens of innocent lives in vain just because a bunch of people’s vile interest.
A month later, or more precisely on March 22, 2016, the world is shaken again by the terror that befall in Brussels, Belgia. Those bomb blast occurred at Zaventem Airport, and at a subway station. 35 people have been reported killed so far. A well-known terror groups, ISIS, is claiming to become the responsible actor for the heinous attacks that took place in Brussels. Again, the public throughout the world, including netizen, have to be strong to accept the fact that the world is still full with the vile and greedy people who sincerely kill each other just for the sake of particular personal and group.
Netizens around the world also reacted to those acts of terror with a varying range. Those reaction such as giving condolences, give encouragement to the victims and their families, even blaming and condemning the perpetrators of the terror attacks. However, there is an interesting and alarming phenomenon which always occurs in the netizens’ forum after the occurrence of terrorist acts anywhere in the world. That phenomenon is the emergence of clash of civilization among netizens.
The clash of civilization has emerged since there are some stereotypes that raised by netizens about the perpetrator of the terror. The stereotype is linking certain races and religions with terrorism. This stereotype of course “offensive” and “hurt” for the fellow netizen, particularly from the race or the religion that is being meant. Inevitably, the “war comments” that full of intimidation and insults ensued between groups in various cyberspace forums. There is a tendency that the clash of civilization is now becoming a trend.
The trend of clash of civilization will be a negative impact for netizens’ “humanity”. Trends like these will make netizens more often to do “war comments” each other in response to the humanitarian disaster rather than mutually supportive and mutually reinforcing. In fact, social media can be a medium for “humanity” which is very effective, if the netizens have a high solidarity and empathy. One example is the solidarity of netizens to collect donations for Abdul Halim Attar, a man selling pen of Syrian origin who had become the talk around the world. [NT]
*) CIDISS Contributor
