I’ve been to Istanbul four times and love the place—and Turkey. Istanbul is one of the most wonderful, eclectic cities in the world, full of nice people, wonderful architecture, and great food. It was thus especially saddening to learn from the New York Times that an explosion took place today in the central Sultanahmet area (site of the famous Blue and Hagia Sofia Mosques), killing at least ten people and wounding 15. Moreover, it appears to have been caused by an ISIS-inspired suicide bomber from Syria, or so says President Erdogan—not exactly an unimpeachable source. Still, I think he’s probably right given the tensions between Turkey and ISIS.
The Telegraph has a live-blogging site to report developments in this case, and it includes what is described as a photo of the blast:
The below image has been widely circulated on social media by the Turkish press but has not been officially verified.
It purports to show the moment that the bomb exploded at Sultanahmet square.
According to investigative journalist Eliot Higgins, the original photograph was published within minutes of the blast happening, and he suggested it could not have been produced that quickly by a hoaxer.
And a photo of the dead, courtesy of the New York Times:
I have no idea what role the U.S. is to play in countering this kind of terrorism, which is basically guerrilla warfare by those who don’t care whether they live, but it won’t be defeated until its ideology is as well. Right now, both a military and an ideological war seem futile.
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They hit a tourist place, most dead are germans. More germans and a norwegian in hospital. [ http://www.dn.se/nyheter/varlden/terrordad-i-istanbul-tio-doda/ ]
I’m waiting for all the Islam apologists to start, the hand wringing and wailing, of Islam being oppressed by the Weat and its all our fault. Sorry to dissappoint ,no it isn’t our fault, it;s the fault of the Death Cult called Islam and its adherents who only want one thing ,the “Life Hereafter” and the promise of”Paradise” and until that mindset that has been inculcated into them for 1500 yrs is changed, we’ll contintue to have these kind of Events.
And I’m waiting for Lawrence Krauss to tell us there’s nothing to see here, we have nothing to worry about, it’s just 10 dead people and 14 wounded, keep calm and carry on…
Terrible. I love Istanbul too and would be sad if I could never go there again.
A “meta-meta” comment, but I post it anyway: I begin to dislike the dynamics that act on comment sections in such events, terroristic attacks, sexual assault or other tragic incidents. They are repetitive and most people have technically nothing to add.
At one point or another you (you, me, everyone) aren’t willing to write yet again how sad this all is, and the comments turn meta-commentary anyway: how opponents will make up excuses, how one side or the other isn’t showing enough empathy, how They(TM) turn this into talking points to further their agenda.
But the problem isn’t that people aren’t affected: it is rather one way how distant events become relatable and transfer to subjects that are of a more immediate concern. That’s why, in my mind, people of all sides tend to go “meta” and infuse it with talking points where they feel they can add something. I don’t know what to make of it — more of a thought.
I think most of us feel like we should help, and strongly dislike feeling like we can’t or are powerless to effect change. So even when we are for the most part helpless or powerless to contribute to some cause, we tend to engage in symbolic acts of help and support. Religious people ‘pray for’ the affected as their symbolic act of support. Atheists write comments on websites instead. 🙂 Both are scratching a psychological itch to do something and be seen doing something, even if it’s just a symbolic something.
I don’t think we’re going to ‘fix’ the human desire to engage in symbolic acts of support any time soon. So forget it, people are going to keep posting the way they post even if you find it frustrating and repetitive. Rather than try, I’d say let’s instead donate a little actual monetary support to good causes in addition to doing whatever public vocal support makes us feel better. I just dropped $10 into the Red Cross pot. It isn’t much, and that’s certainly not the only organization that would provide assistance in this situation (so: I’m not trying to promote them). But even though that pained me while writing this post makes me feel better, that will provide more real help than this will.
Not sure there is a sophisticated response to be made in this matter? Suicidal bombings do not come within the comprehension of most people and even if the person who did this could come back and provide a proper explanation, would that do any good? So we grope around in to dark and speculate. Why do people act in this way in a modern society, we do not know. However, we can guess it has some religious reasoning behind it and if that is not it, make another case. After all, this is a site of mostly atheists and people who are looking for reasons and causes for human action. We are not looking to blow up anyone.
I’m not sure I get where you’re coming from.
I don’t think there is. It was more of a meditation. I was wondering what is going on with us who sit somewhere else, tempted to comment on such events but who have no special insights or knowledge for the most part. I think it’s a worthwhile question, especially since terrorists are communicators. Stuff like that does something with us, too.
Comment sections for example make it easy to express sadness, hatred and disgust, which is a natural reaction to such horrible acts. In anticipation, and if you have an authoritarian outlook, you might think that heaping negative comments on e.g. Islam may give people wrong ideas, and increase the pressure on innocent minorities that are often times harassed already. This attitude, which is meta already, expressed by the Authoritarian Left/SJW faction in turn causes the other side (most people here, myself included) to react to that. It’s more complicated than it is made out to be and we are unknowingly slaves to it. For that matter, I’m highly critical of the Authoritarians, too.
But at the same time we go through the motion each time anew and will so next time when something like this happens, whereas I like the jootsing (“jumping out of the system”) maneuvre. I think it’s fair to ask at some point: what forces act on us, so that we end up doing the same thing again and again. And is there a point?
Eric makes good points, too. Ultimately, people try to make sense of it and act symboligically.
Where I am coming from is – I notice the comments and they are from all over the place as you would expect with different people. But I do not dwell on them because generally they are just that, comments, and not a solution to the problem.
I would be much more interest in reasonable solutions to the problem and what, on this planet, might stop the madness. Nearly everyday there is more slaughter and very little hope that it will end. If someone has something that will penetrate the edges of this, I will be glad to pay attention.
If you seek to place this Islamist terror attack in a broader context then watch this video…
Thanks.
Given the likely targets were European, rather than Turkish citizens, perhaps worth noting that Turkey of late has hardly been active in promoting the value of a secular state in the Middle East, including acceptance of such “Western” ideas as evolution. Here’s Taner Edis, one of the most outspoken critics of Islamic creationism.
http://edis.sites.truman.edu/islamic-creationism-in-turkey/
IF that’s a genuine photo, then I think it’s pointing about NE and the obelisk (pilfered from Egypt by Romans) is obscuring Hagia Sofia (which was closing in an hour when I got time off from the warehouse to tourist ; so I wandered around the square instead. I think the Delphic Column (a bronze casting made to commemorate the Greeks kicking “Persian” arse) is behind the photographer.
That would put the blast pretty close to the main tourist entrance to the Blue Mosque. Covered in “women, keep your hair covered” etc signs.
Meanwhile this idiot plans to show the power of prayer
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/01/06/this-portland-hippie-is-planning-a-peace-concert-in-isis-controlled-syria.html
I hear in the news that they find it doubtful that the IS was behind this, since the Turkish secret service works with them, and buys their oil for half the world-market price. This was asserted by an “expert” who however seems a credible knower, based on his CV. Instead, he pointed out that Turkey have a problem with the kurds. The target could be turkish tourism.
I found interesting what the turkish minister said: he specifically said that they would fight IS “as they already do” (i.e. no changes intended, which in context almost sounds like code for continued cooperation).