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Baghdad victims need more than just silence

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Baghdad victims need more than just silence

Iraqi security forces and civilians gather at the site after a car bomb hit Karada, a busy shopping district in the centre of Baghdad, Iraq, on Sunday. As many as 120 people were killed and more than 140 wounded in two separate bomb attacks in the Iraqi capital. - AP

The blast killed a staggering number of people - the latest death toll is at least 200.

Published: Mon 4 Jul 2016, 5:02 PM

Updated: Tue 5 Jul 2016, 11:33 AM

It's been more than 24 hours and the world is not reeling - seemingly at all -  from the shock of the horrific Baghdad attack that took place in the Iraqi capital on Saturday, which was the worst attack on Iraqi soil in years and left over 200 people dead.
According to local reports, 81 of the bodies are so charred, DNA testing will need to be conducted in order to identify them.
But the world doesn't care. But unlike the last two attacks by Daesh in Western Europe, in Paris and Brussels, there are no cries of "Je suis Baghdad" or "Je suis Iraqi", and there are no Facebook flag filters or huge tribute posts on social media.
This puts the total number of people killed in attacks since February at 591, with scores more almost surely unaccounted for. But sadly, the world is seemingly quiet where the Baghdad attack is concerned. 
The BBC has put out a timeline of the recent attacks linked to Daesh in Iraq this year alone: 
June 9, 2016: At least 30 people killed in and around Baghdad in two suicide attacks claimed by IS
May 17, 2016: Four bomb blasts kill 69 people in Baghdad; three of the targets were Shia areas
May 11, 2016: Car bombs in Baghdad kill 93 people, including 64 in market in Shia district of Sadr City
May 1, 2016: Two car bombs kill at least 33 people in southern city of Samawa
March 26, 2016: Suicide attack targets football match in central city of Iskandariya, killing at least 32
March 6, 2016: Fuel tanker blown up at checkpoint near central city of Hilla, killing 47
February 28, 2016: Twin suicide bomb attacks hit market in Sadr City, killing 70
This begs the question: Why is it that we care less about victims in Baghdad than victims in Paris? How does one explain the selective grief and media coverage through which we view human tragedies? Is it ignored because of the frequency of the attacks that take place in Iraq? Do the frequency of attacks make any difference to the families of the victims? 
In the last few months alone, attacks have taken place in Istanbul, Dhaka and Pakistan (to name a few countries,) and the Iraqi people - and people who suffer from any calamity, overall - deserve better than just silence. 
Some might argue that because attacks rarely occur in the West, the impact is greater. But such arguments will ring hollow to people in the Middle East and Asia. It doesn't diminish their suffering.



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