Arab world reacts to the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando

Published June 13th, 2016 - 04:04 GMT
Police at the scene of the massacre in the day after the deaths (AFP / File)
Police at the scene of the massacre in the day after the deaths (AFP / File)

The massacre of 50 people at a gay nightclub in Florida yesterday was the biggest mass shooting in US history. For the global LGBT community in particular, it was a devastating blow.

The attack was a shock to the Arab world too. Following news that the gunman was an Afghan-American who had pledged allegiance to Daesh (ISIS), Arab users took to Twitter to discuss their reactions to the attack. The responses ranged from praise to condemnation, wild conspiracy theories to cautious analysis, and everything in between.

Many Arabic-language Twitter accounts were disgusted at the slaughter. That included those who identified as LGBT and allies, but also states like Saudi Arabia that hardly have a glittering record of celebrating diverse sexuality.


I wonder about the people who are happy about the killing of innocents just because they’re different, are you even humans?


Condemnation is clear, explicit, and necessary in the killing of anyone.

Some praised the attacks and the fact that they targeted the U.S. gay community– providing examples of homophobia that many of those condemning the attacks also criticised (and blamed on other forces).


Daesh, manufactured by Zionists, does not represent Muslims or Islam.
Accompanying pictures are of people on twitter celebrating.  Highlights: “Why didn’t you finish it? The explosion in the nightclub on gay night killed half of them, thanks be to God, that was enough for you ya Afghani." 

The conversation was additionally full of speculation about what caused the attack. Some argued against the idea that Islam was to blame for the violence, while others stressed the links between the shooter’s religious background and his religious faith.


When the reason is known the wonder ceases.
There was a Muslim sheikh giving lectures a couple weeks ago in the State of Orlando [sic] saying that homosexuals need to be killed.


Eradicating this malignant tumor entirely is the solution. Islamic terrorism is a shame upon the earth. We thank God, except for where these people get their ideas from. 


The red circles are shootings carried out by Muslims, the blue by non-Muslims in the US.
And the whole controversy is about Muslims

Analysis of the causes behind the shooting also brought out some more creative thinking and users speculated about the supposed dark and unseen forces that might have come together to manifest the tragedy.


These attacks happen in America at a time of tremendous and unprecedented momentum,  accompanied by the funeral of Muhammad Ali and filled with defense of Muslims and pushback against “Islamophobia”.
There’s something fishy about this.


Look for the ones who benefit to learn who’s behind it -  That’s the the extremist right in order to support the monstrous candidate “Trump” and to increase disasters and massacres against Muslims.

Comparisons were also drawn with the backdrop of war and violence in the Arab world, and some argued that the tragedy was unimportant compared to the scale of the suffering in the Middle East. The day of the shooting, at least 39 people were killed by regime and Russian warplanes in the Syrian province of Idlib.


Our youth and children have died in Syria, Egypt, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq and not a single tear was shed for them. After that we’re crying over gays?

Neither did tweeters miss the fact that the nature of the tragedy might inspire some conflicted feelings in particular forums.


Picture: “50 killed and 53 injured in gay nightclub in the USA … Brace yourself … God bless the heroic martyr who fought the gays in America, may his soul rest in Paradise. But also this is a conspiracy by Trump to win in the elections and distort the view of Islam … Posts are coming”

 

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