Christina Thibodeau, a sophomore international development and relations major, organized the vigil to raise awareness about the attacks.
“I think it’s important to raise awareness, especially for attacks and things that happen that people don’t hear about because they aren’t in the news," Thibodeau said. "They are in countries that people don’t pay attention to as much because it just seems like there are a lot of wars there.”
Thibodeau said she feels like mainstream media doesn’t cover each story about terror attacks in a balanced way.
“The one that got the biggest outcry against it was Brussels in Belgium, which is perfectly understandable," she said. "It was a big attack, it was very scary, but there were other attacks also that were just as big and some that were bigger.
"Because they were in places like Lahore, Pakistan, which didn’t hear as much of an outcry, the media didn’t cover it as much. Even though a lot of social media was talking about it, you didn’t see it in mainstream American news.”
Students at the vigil got little pieces of paper with a victim’s information on it before the prayer vigil so they could get to know the victim.
Adel Farag, an international student from Benghazi (a city in Libya that was a part of the Arab Spring protests) studying for a master's in geology, came to pay his respects at the vigil because he can sympathize with the victims.
“I feel what those people feel right now," Farag said. "I have to pray for them, it’s important for me.”
Jacob Sliger, a sophomore elementary education major, said unity was the best way to show support for victims of terror attacks.
“With the recent terrorist attacks, I think it’s really important that we show our support for all of the victims worldwide by coming together as a campus and as a community,” Sliger said. “I think that unity, acceptance and love are the only way to combat the recent attacks."
Here are some details about each attack listed on the vigil’s Facebook event page:
Al Mukallah, Yemen
At least 16 people were tied up and killed by four gunmen in a nursing home founded by Mother Teresa on March 4. The residents of the nursing home were not harmed, and there has been no immediate claim of responsibility, according to the New York Times.
Kabul, Afghanistan
A gunman shot and killed three people in the capital of Afghanistan on March 5. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the Daily Sabah.
Baghdad, Iraq
A suicide bomber killed at least 29 people at a soccer stadium on March 25. The Islamic State claimed the responsibilty for the attack, according to USA Today.
Ankara, Turkey
A suicide car-bomb attack killed 37 people in the capital of Turkey on March 13. The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party also known as the PKK, claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the Associated Press.
Grand-Bassem, Ivory Coast
A beach resort was attacked by armed men, resulting in the death of 16 people on March 13. Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the Associated Press.
Istanbul, Turkey
A suicide attack in a shopping area killed five people on March 19. It is believed the Islamic State or Kurdish militants attacked, due to previous attacks that they claimed, according to the Associated Press.
Brussels, Belgium
A subway and an airport were bombed in Brussels on March 22, killing at least 37 people, according to the Associated Press. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.
Lahore, Pakistan
A bombing at a park killed 65 people on March 27 during Easter festivities. A Pakistani faction of the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the Associated Press.
Diffa, Niger
Boko Haram militants killed six soldiers on March 30, according to the BBC.
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