The terrorist attacks in Paris on Nov. 13 shook communities around the world to their cores. Auburn was one of those communities.
Suicide bombers and gunmen killed 129 people and injured 352 in a series of six attacks at three locations, including the Bataclan concert hall and the Stade de France soccer stadium. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Paris native Jérémy Sitbon, who interned with the department of mechanical engineering at Auburn in summer 2014, said his thoughts first went to his friends and family when he heard about the attacks because they occurred close to his family’s house. He said some of his acquaintances were injured or killed that day.
“I can’t understand how people can kill others in that kind of place,” Sitbon said. “Those are places we used to have a lot of fun.”
Viviane Koua, lecturer in the French department, said her brother, Athanase Koua, as well as his three children Hando, Noemi and Rafael Koua, were in the stadium when it was attacked. She said it took approximately four hours to hear from them, during which time, she was “more than terrified.”
“I didn’t even breathe until I reached them,” Koua said.
She said she heard about the attack from another one of her brothers and began frantically calling family members.
“I could not get anybody,” Koua said. “So I was freaking out.”
She said she called her sister-in-law, who tried to reassure her.
“She said, ‘Just breathe,’” Koua said. “I took my rosary, tried to pray, but I couldn’t focus.”
She said her brother’s family frequents the stadium and they were excited for the game.
“My sister in law told me, ‘As soon as I hear from them, I’ll call you,’” Koua said. “One hour, two hours, three hours, no call. Nothing. I said, ‘That is it. Maybe something happened.’”
Koua said one of her nephews finally called her and said they were all are at their house together.
“One of my nephews called me and said, ‘Auntie, I know that you are freaking out, but I just want to let you know that we all are safe,’” Koua said.
Koua said it was hard for her because she could not do anything besides watch the news during that time.
“But still now we don’t have news from some friends, we are still looking for them,” Koua said.
Koua said her family is physically fine, but they are mad about the situation. She said she is also angry about the suffering.
“I don’t understand why people could get up in the morning and plan to kill,” Koua said.
Koua said she hopes one day, the terrorism will end.
“Killing in the name of God is not the same God we are worshipping,” Koua said.
She said the Islamic State group attacks could cause people to blame Muslims as a whole.
“It’s not all the Muslims who are like that,” Koua said. “They are suffering too.”
Sitbon, who currently works in the United Kingdom, said all of his friends and family were accounted for within two hours. He said Facebook launching the safety check in Paris helped him quickly see his friends were safe.
“I was very happy about this system, which gives us the possibility to worry less than we would without it,” Sitbon said.
Adrienne Angelo, associate professor of French, said Facebook helped her contact former students who teach English all over France. She said it helped her quickly make sure everyone was safe, including one former student who teaches in a Paris suburb.
She said it was disturbing to her that the attackers targeted civilian places on a Friday night when people would be out and about.
“I really did feel like this was the equivalent of 9/11 for Paris,” Angelo said. “It’s horrifying, just horrifying, to think about.”
Evelyne Bornier, assistant professor of French, has family spread throughout France, including several relatives who live in Paris. She said her “extreme concern” for them turned into relief when they were all accounted for.
“I was relieved for my family, but I’m still thinking about all the other people,” Bornier said. “The people who haven’t found relatives they have been looking for, the people who lost relatives, it’s just horrifying.”
Angelo said the fear from the Paris attacks extends beyond France.
“I think everybody’s really on edge right now,” Angelo said. “One of my friends on Facebook, he was visiting Paris, and he said two days after the attacks, there was a random noise, maybe a car backfired or something, but he said everybody in that cafe just ducked.”
Angelo said she would not go to Paris right now unless she had to for work.
“I would make the best of the situation, carry on, but just be extremely aware of my surroundings, probably even more so than I usually am,” Angelo said.
Angelo said it is important to show support for France because they are a U.S. ally that has similar democratic values.
Posting the “Peace for Paris” sign, created by designer Jean Jullien, or updating profile pictures with French flag-themed filters are two common ways people all over the world can show support for the people of Paris.
“Us showing solidarity for them, it just reflects our support,” Angelo said.
Bornier said she uses her words to support Paris. She said she will talk to her loved ones there, and has begun writing a poem, titled “Abominable Abomination” in response to the attacks. She said she is dedicating it to victims of violence all over the world.
“Violence is everywhere, and it’s an abomination,” Bornier said.
Though it has only been a few days since the attacks, Sitbon said he expects the people of Paris to keep going.
“I would expect everybody to heal going forward by joining together,” Sitbon said. “Not stay alone after those events and keep going out.”
Bornier said the people of Paris are resilient in the wake of the attacks.
“I think the word solidarity is on everyone’s lips right now,” Bornier said. “People want to unite in the face of adversity, in the face of what happened. I think what the Parisians are saying now is, ‘We need to live with a capital L. We don’t need to let this defeat us.’”
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