Terrorism provokes within us a heartwrenching feeling of wretchedness and melancholy. It fosters in us the desire to speak at length, but a great uncertainty with words. With the recent shooting in Paris and other terrorist attacks around the world, words become crucial but easy articulation scarce. The difficulty lies in the attempt to fully embody the cruelty and brutality of these ineffable incidents using merely letters and punctuation. Despite our language’s incompetence in grasping subjects as such, one fact must be asserted: terrorism has no religion.

Often, we avoid proper contemplation of terrorism. Trying desperately to push this reality of malice and extreme suffering into a seemingly distant and even unreal dimension, we convince ourselves that it does not apply to us, that it is too far away to affect us, or that there is nothing we can do.

While distancing oneself can be enticing, there is much to be done in the name of peace. In times of great suffering, whether it be inside or outside of our home, solidarity is essential. These times intensify the need to join hands with one another. We must not let terrorism slow the heartbeat of humanity, we must not let it paralyze us. It may seem trivial or ordinary, but even displaying support through social media has great effects: victims of the attack and its emotional repercussions realize that the world is listening, that they are not alone, and with this, hope can be rekindled in the hearts of the mournful.

Indeed, when great injustice proliferates, we must spin our webs to be more enduring, so that injustice cannot puncture them. It may feel like we are thousands of miles away from these serious attacks, but America has been in those same, painful shoes. We have felt ruthlessness of the loss and social disharmony that follow horrific violence. Yet, amidst great destruction, something beautiful can be cultivated—a sense of unity like no other. People from all over the world, of all different races and religions unite to provide this hope, which, combined with a passion for good, is all we need. We often forget just how strong of an influence we can have, but human connection can guide us infinitely far.

In the midst of chaos, people often forget one thing: terrorism has no religion. We frantically search for a scapegoat to reassure ourselves of our own virtues, for a group of people or an idea to blame that we ultimately end up using as a means of distancing ourselves from the situation. However, the people who commit these unforgivable acts are no more representative of the religion they affiliate with or their race than they are representative of the morality of humanity. Choosing to associate an entire group of religious people with unspeakable violence does nothing to diminish the violence. Instead, it leads to gruesome stereotypes, unjust religious persecution, and it vilifies the innocent, who are entirely undeserving of the discrimination terrorism heightens. Thus, instead of fighting injustice, we generate the more pervasive injustice of discrimination. Humanity has always had and will always have flaws. These flaws are irreversible, and we should not try to make groups of people responsible for the on the basis of religious, racist, or any other grounds. We must unite with the rest of the world, not alienate those unlike ourselves.