Whenever terrorists strike, they hit where they can spread the most destruction and fear. They want to paralyse and they want to hurt.
Unfortunately, one of the most vulnerable links in the chain is an international airport. It is where the world meets and where people from all walks of life pass through.
After several previous raids and upgrades to its security measures, Brussels thought it had taken all necessary precautions, but Tuesday’s attacks shook the very core of the city, the country and other international airports.
This raises questions over what more can be done in terms of security at airports, without truly making it so difficult for all of us to travel. If we can’t travel normally, then it would just mean that the terrorists have won.
Especially in the UAE, we are always passing through one airport or another, either going back home, visiting family or friends, or taking advantage of the country’s strategic location to travel to exotic locations.
If the aftermath of the September 11 attacks is anything to go by, there may be an increase in racial profiling.
Like many other people I have experienced some of this when travelling to the US. From being required by officials to strip down and having to explain repeatedly where I was travelling to in the US, to being asked if I was sympathetic towards Al Qaeda.
I had stamps in my Canadian passport from various Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia and Iraq. It didn’t matter that I was a journalist working in these territories, I was treated like a suspect.
After Tuesday’s events, there were people on social media claiming they knew someone at the airport who heard someone yell something in “Arabic” before the bomb went off.
When that comment entered the public domain, many people were quick to make statements like “nuke em all!” and “bomb them all in Syria and Iraq!” There were plenty of verbal attacks on Muslims, Arabs and the refugees who have sought sanctuary in Europe. Arabic news channels interviewed refugees in Brussels who expressed worry over a possible backlash affecting them.
Let us hope people have enough sense not to paint an entire group with the same dark brush of terrorism.
Looking back at aviation history, attacking airports and hijacking and planting bombs on planes are old terrorist tactics. One of the oldest cases occurred on October 10, 1933, when a plane flying on a regular route from Newark airport to California via Chicago was destroyed by a bomb. Planes were smaller then, so only seven people died. Officials suspected it was a Chicago gangland murder, but the case remains unsolved.
Our hearts go out to all the families of victims of terrorist attacks. One way to beat the terrorists is not letting them win by turning us into fearful, suspicious and divided people. Standing united against terrorism is the only way out of this latest painful episode.
rghazal@thenational.ae
On Twitter:@arabianmau