This Blindfolded Muslim Man Giving Hugs In Paris Is What The World Needs (Video)

As cliché as it sounds, what the world needs now more than anything are love and solidarity.

Nicolas Hénin, a French journalist who was held hostage by ISIS, recently wrote,

As a proud Frenchman I am as distressed as anyone about the events in Paris. But I am not shocked or incredulous. I know Islamic State. I spent 10 months as an Isis hostage, and I know for sure that our pain, our grief, our hopes, our lives do not touch them. Theirs is a world apart. ... Central to their world view is the belief that communities cannot live together with Muslims, and every day their antennae will be tuned towards finding supporting evidence. The pictures from Germany of people welcoming migrants will have been particularly troubling to them. Cohesion, tolerance – it is not what they want to see. ... There is much we can achieve in the aftermath of this atrocity, and the key is strong hearts and resilience, for that is what they fear. I know them: bombing they expect. What they fear is unity.

Indeed, in the aftermath of the devastating Paris attacks, we must recognize the goal of any terrorist organization is to cultivate disunity and hysteria. Our greatest weapon against terrorist groups like ISIS is unity, as Hénin aptly and poignantly highlighted.

This is precisely why a video of a blindfolded Muslim man receiving hugs from mourners in Paris is so important.

It sends a powerful message of compassion and community at a time when many corners of the world, and particularly the US, proudly display Islamophobia and xenophobia.

It's vital we recognize ISIS wants to drive a wedge between Muslims and the rest of society and sow the seeds of discord among people. But we can't let it.

In the video, the blindfolded Muslim man stands in Republic Square in Paris with his arms open, ready to receive a hug, with a sign that says, "I trust you, do you trust me? So hug me!" The results are beautiful and just what the world needs to see right now.

Watch the video below.

Citations: I was held hostage by Isis. They fear our unity more than our airstrikes (The Guardian)