Evil wins when the good does not act.

‘Level 4’ is now a concept
The attacks in Brussels on 22 March were nothing short of vile. It was a tragedy, a disaster that everyone experienced as totally reprehensible. Everyone, in their anger and desperation, was looking for words they could not find. At the same time to remain silent or do nothing was not an option. Thousands gathered in squares and other public places. They marched in silence, sang, wrote things down, burned candles or laid down flowers. One did not want to give in but give a clear sign.

This happening between people surpassed us.
When language is not available, we reach out for symbols. A symbol can express without words the indignation, sadness and compassion that lives within us . A symbol is more however than just a ‘sign’.

“The symbols we use are real , in the sense that they work and do not fail their effect“,

wrote Han Fortmann once. A society that is criticised for being individualistic, experienced a kind of renaissance of ‘shared values’ on the 22nd of March in its solidarity with the victims and in its compassion with the families. This rebirth did however not remove the calamity that happened to us.

It put things in a perspective.
If terror seeks destruction and chaos , at the same time it creates its opposites. In tears, but through the madness it mobilised citizens who chanted:

“We are not afraid!”

The rubble of destruction had to make place for defiance, while chaos was immediately transformed into solidarity, togetherness and commitment.

“To cry is the first prophetic deed in human history. Only when we have the capacity to cry with others, in compassion, can we change the culture of death into a culture of life”.

– Hyun Kyung Chung

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Previous articles

Just be yourself…

From Guestwriters 2015 in review

Christians at War? Christians using violence?

Before you blame All Muslims for the terrorist attack in Paris

Paris, in Retrospect

Tears for Belgium

Bruxelles Ma Belle

A darker and stranger place

Il terrorismo è l’urlo di un bambino al buio

Bringers of agony, Trained in Belgium and Syria

A charter for a truly free world and why we need it

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie: Kwaad wint als goed niets doet

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Additional reading

1. A world in denial
2. Christian fundamentalism as dangerous as Muslim fundamentalism
3. Public not informed enough about Jihad terrorism in Belgium
4. Summary for the year 2015 #1 Threat and fear
5. 2015 Human rights
6. Brussels’ Jewish Museum re-opened on Sunday
7. Brussels-born Salah Abdeslam key suspect Paris terrorist attacks
8. Daesh hits heart of Europe
9. A Black day for Belgium – Brussels Airport ravage
10. Knife-trust in democratic sore back
11. Tears for Belgium
12. Reaction from U.S.A. President Barack Obama
13. De getuigen bij Pauw zijn bekende uit dezelfde hoek
14. What Associated Press released on Wednesday 23 March 2016
15. Iranian media implicitly accuse Erdogan to have known of the Bruxelles’s attacks in advance
16. Hard questions
17. Terrorist attacks in brussels
18. Social media, sympathy & shocks
19. Belgian Muslims Refusing to Aid Police in Finding Terrorists
20. Europe unites to defeat terror
21. Silence, devotion, Salafists, quietists, weaponry, bombings, books, writers and terrorists
22. Internet meeting 2016 March 30, Tuesday
23. Is God behind all suffering here on earth

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Further reading

1. Conflict, Attack and Situations That Seem Impossible to Overcome
2. How to face new waves of terrorism
3. Muslim Options in the West
4. Islamic State committing genocide against Yazidis: U.N.
5. Terror
6. U.S. officials say American Muslims do report extremist threats
7. ISIS working to send operatives to the West for further attacks: US spy chief
8. Right-wing homegrown extremism continues to be ignored
9. The Danger Of “Right-Wing Extremists”
10. Because “you can’t handle the truth..”
11. The good the bad and the unsettling
12. “Bad as it is that President Obama refuses to use the words “Islamist terror,” it’s far worse that he’s put blinders on everyone who’s supposed to be keeping America safe”
13. Killing of Two Police Officers in Paris a ‘Terrorist Act’, President Hollande Says
14. French police alerted to possible arrival of extremist fighters
15. In Brussels police arrest 12 ‘plotting to attack during Belgium-Ireland match’
16. Belgian authorities charge 3 in major anti-terror raid
17. What in the world?
18. Citizen With Firearm Stops Muslim Terrorist
19. How To Stop Most Homegrown Terrorists—-Shutdown The FBI Sting Operations | David Stockman’s Contra Corner
20. CIA Chief: ISIS Still a Threat
21. G. Edward Griffin: This Story Could Be the Smoking Gun For All False-Flag Ops :: The Last Great Stand
22. A Week of Terror
23. War on Terror_ Nothing is as it appears to be
24. France will see further terror attacks: PM
25. My terrorists: rich old white guys
26. Countering Jihad
27. Not Islamic terror
28. ISIS killer posts chilling Facebook video after murdering French policeman and wife
29. Crimes and misdemeanors of Pulse shooting
30. Not again!!!!
31. Terrorism too close to home …
32. American Bataclan?
33. Orlando Nightclub Shooting: Questions and Anomalies Surround ‘Worst Mass Shooting in U.S. History’ « Memory Hole
34. How America’s Mass Shooters Now Use Weapons of War | Mother Jones
35. The Orlando massacre: the lies, the exploitation and unasked questions | The Vineyard of the Saker
36. Flawed, Angry, Grief-Stricken – But We Will Not Succumb to Terror
37. French police march silently to honor ISIS attack victims
38. A Distressing Morning
39. The Orlando Morass
40. Orlando suspicions: Multiple shooters, multiple ‘motives’ and a siege that just doesn’t add up | Truth and Shadows
41. Seventy-two killed resisting gun confiscation in Boston! | Fauquier Free Citizen
42. Orlando ‘Known Wolf’ Watched by FBI, Worked with DHS, Amid Crisis Actors, Drills & CI’s
43. City Officials Reportedly Won’t Turnover Fire Code Inspection Records For Pulse Nightclub | LawNewz
44. Orlando attack: Gunman’s ‘struggle with his true sexuality’ could have made him snap
45. Orlando gunman describes himself as ‘Islamic soldier’ in chilling 911 transcripts
46. 19 June 2016. A Foreign Response to Orlando
47. “Gun sales surge among gays, lesbians after Orlando shooting”
48. Did FBI Informants Assist Mateen in the Orlando Shooting?
49. Exploiting the Orlando nightmare
50. Jimm Fallon Addresses Orlando Shootings In ‘Tonight Show’ Monologue
51. Orlando Shooting: Is God Hate or Love?
52. Obama’s cerebral reaction to terror tested in Orlando
53. Pulse Nightclub Shooting Original Tribute Song
54. Threats against Muslims must stop after Orlando attack: US
55. Tens of thousands attend Orlando vigil
56. My Opinion on… Orlando
57. My Thoughts for Orlando
58. Thoughts on the latest terror attack
59. Bubble Explosion: The Orlando Tragedy
60. Man Who Claims To Be Omar Mateen’s Gay Lover Says The Orlando Shooting Was Revenge, Not Terror
61. “Gun sales surge among gays, lesbians after Orlando shooting”
62. Taliban suicide bomber kills at least 14 in Afghan capital
63. Boko Haram Attacks Force 50,000 to Flee Homes
64. Suspected Fulani Herdsmen Attacked Ogun State
65. Millitants Finding their way in Ogun State – Commissioner of Police
66. Taliban suicide bombing kills 14 Nepalese guards in Kabul
67. A theory of attacks?
68. The Outrageous Attack on Conservative Christians After the Orlando Massacre
69. Still Redacted, Still Deceiving
70. Zero tolerance for hate speech, says Shanmugam
71. The eyes of free will
72. #27 – Hatebreed / Madball / Hate Eternal /Terror
73. #75: Coward
74. Conspiracy theorists are harassing the families of women killed in mass shootings
75. Man arrested at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of terrorism
76. November lectures in US: How the Mideast will react to the election
77. 6 troops killed, 14 injured in car bomb attack on Syria border
78. Terror v Trust
79. Sharia and Freedom
80. War and Ignorance
81. Love breeds Love, so does Hate breeds…
82. Does one person have control to stop Every bad thing in the world?
83. Hatred and Division Make Me Sick
84. Capitulo 4 – Indicios