Prayers for 12.145, and 22 in particular

I made it just a little over ten months without posting this prayer. The last time was for the people in Nice. I could have posted it for the people killed in the London Bridge attack, but London handled itself so well in the wake of the London Bridge attack that I sufficed with another type of post. I could have posted it much more often inbetween; since Nice, at least 12.145 people have lost their lives in terrorist attacks (617 in the second part of July, 1230 in August, 876 in September, 2151 in October, 1667 in November, 940 in December, 912 in January, 767 in February, 1436 in March, 817 in April, and 732 so far in May). Some with the highest death counts (50+):

23/7/16 Suicide bombing in Kabul, Afganistan: 80 dead (230 wounded)
27/7/16 Suicide bombing in Qamishli, Syria: 57dead (140 wounded)
6/8/16 Shooting, kidnapping and execution by IS in Hawija, Iraq: 100+ dead (over 3000 kidnapped)
8/8/2016 Shooting and suicide bombing in Quetta, Pakistan: 93 dead (130+ wounded)
14/8/16 Melee massacre in Beni City, Democratic Republic of the Congo: 101 dead
15/8/16 Suicide bombing on a bus in Idlib, Syria: 50 dead
20/8/16 Suicide bombing at a wedding ceremony in Gaziantep, Turkey by a twelve year old boy: 54 dead (66 wounded)
29/8/2016 Bombing at a military facility in Aden, Yemen: 71 dead
5/9/2016 String of connected car bombingsin Tartus, Homs, Damascus and Hasakah, Syria: 70 dead
5/9/2016 Suicide bombings in Kabul, Afghanistan: 58 dead (109 wounded)
25/9/2016 Execution of captured Iraqi civilians by IS in Iraq: 100+ dead
14/10/2016 Executions of rebels by IS in Mosul, Iraq: 58 dead
15/10/16 Suicide bombing and shooting in Baghdad, Iraq: 53 dead (44 wounded)
21-22/10/16 Spree of shootings and suicide bombings in Kirkuk, Iraq: 80 dead (133 wounded)
24/10/16 Hostage taking, shooting, and suicide bombing at a police training center in Quetta, Pakistan: 62 dead (117 wounded)
25/10/16 Executions and shooting by IS in Mosul, Iraq: 135 dead
26/10/16 Execution of former members of the Iraqi security forces by IS: 232 dead
29/10/16 Execution of civilians by IS in Mosul, Iraq: 122 dead
31/10/16 Execution of civilians by IS in Mosul, Iraq: 350+ dead
2/11/16 Execution and shooting by IS in Mosul, Iraq: 52 dead
8/11/16 Execution of civilians by IS in Mosul, Iraq: 300+ dead
11/11/16 Execution of civilians by IS in Mosul, Iraq: 113 dead
12/11/16 Suicide bombing in the Shah Noorani Shrine in Balochistan, Pakistan: 55 dead (102 wounded)
12/11/16 Execution of civilians by IS in Mosul, Iraq: 60 dead
20/11/16 Sabotage of a train by IS in Pukhrayan, India: 150 dead (150+ wounded)
24/11/16 Suicide truck bombing in Hillah, Iraq: 125 dead (95 wounded)
9/12/16 Suicide bombings in Madagali, Nigeria: 57 dead (177 wounded)
10/12/16 Suicide bombing on soldiers in Aden, Yemen: 50+ dead (70+ wounded)
18/12/16 Suicide bombing on soldiers in Aden, Yemen: 52 dead (63 wounded)

2/1/17 Series of suicide car bombings in Baghdad, Iraq: 56 dead (122 wounded)
7/1/17 Car bombing at a marketplace in Azaz, Syria: 60 dead (50 wounded)
18/1/17 Five suicide bombings near a NATO army base in Gao, Mali: 77 dead (115 wounded)
27/1/17 Al-Shabaab militants attack remote AMISOM base killing Kenyan troops in Kulbiyow, Somalia: 66 dead (70 wounded)
16/2/17 Car bombing at a car dealership in Baghdad, Iraq: 59 dead (66 wounded)
16/2/17 Suicide bombing at a shrine by IS in Sehwan, Pakistan: 88 dead (250+ wounded)
24/2/17 Car bombing by IS in Sosyan, Syria: 61 dead (100+ wounded)
8/3/17 Suicide bombing and shootings at a military hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan: 100+ dead (63 wounded)
11/3/17 Car bombing and suicide bombing on Shia pilgrims in Damascus, Syria: 74 dead (120+ wounded)
15/4/17 Suicide car bombing in Aleppo, Syria: 126 dead (100+ wounded)
21/4/17 Shooting attack of a military base by Taliban n the Balkh Province, Afghanistan: 256 dead (160+ wounded)
18/5/17 Shootings of civilians by IS in Hama Governorate, Syria: 52 dead (100 wounded)
20/5/17 Shooting of soldiers and civilians by Misrata militants in the Wadi al Shatii District, Libya: 141 dead (100+ wounded)


I was still awake two nights ago when news of the Manchester Arena bombing begun trickling in. I can't imagine you missed it, but at the end of a concert by the American singer Ariana Grande a bomb went off, killing 22 people and injuring 59. A lone male was reported to have carried out the attack, thought to have been a suicide bombing using an improvised explosive device, with the perpetrator "deliberately choosing the time and place to cause maximum carnage and to kill and injure indiscriminately", according to Prime Minister Theresa May. Police were called to the scene of the bombing at 22:33 local time, along with medical personnel. IS later claimed responsibility for the attack, and investigators are trying to determine if this was a lone wolf terror attack.

In case you don't know Ariana Grande, let me drive it home to you that the crowd consisted mostly of kids between the ages of, say, eight and eighteen, along with their parents and a select gathering of more mature fans. So far, the youngest identified deadly victim was eight. Eight. Some 22-years old asshole sat through the whole of an Ariana Grande concert, got up, walked to the exit along with hordes of (mostly) girls having the best night of their lives and pressed a Gods damned button because somehow that is a normal thing to do now.

It kills me, thinking of this.

It kills me thinking of the trauma the young people who survived will carry for the rest of their lives. I can't even imagine what Ariana herself is going through right now. She walked off stage and a few minutes later: boom! Death. Chaos. She went on Twitter and apologized. She apologized for the actions of an angry, impressionable, very dead teenager who felt the need to take 22 people into death with him. She's debating ending her career.

That kills me too.

I've just spent the better part of two hours tallying the numbers on how many people fell victim to the hate, and anger, and fear of humanity. Let me go back to that list you may or may not have read. A twelve year old boy blew himself up at a wedding. In the span of two weeks, IS members shot over 1500 people in the head in Mosul. 3000 people were kidnapped. They will be raped, mutilated, indoctrinated and either put in the line of battle as cannon fodder or killed once they outlive their 'usefulness'. If I could, I would post the image of every single one of the 12.145 people who lost their lives in the name of hate these past 10 months.

We don't know all the names of the victims of the Manchester Arena bombings yet, but we know a few, and I will update the list as more names become public. Memorize them. Let them be remembered forever. May they live on in true Hellenic tradition. Don't apologize, get angry. Be aware. Pray. Refuse to be afraid. Read through that list up there and visualize every number of people. Those people should be alive today--as should the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing be.

Georgina Callander (18 years old)

Saffie Rose Roussos (8 years old)

John Atkinson (26 years old)

Olivia Campbell (15 years old)

I knew Georgina a little, from internet circles we both frequented. We talked a little a few years ago, were mutual on social media. I didn't know her real name, but others in those circles did and connected the dots. And now she's dead. I didn't cry more for her than for any of the others, but I most certainly cried for her. She was sweet, and loving, and bubbly. She will be missed.

We don't get a reprieve from these attacks. The 23rd already saw the Marawi clash in the Philippines. Residents of Marawi reported the presence of and armed group within their locale and after the AFP verified the information, the military responded. Firefights between government forces and militants began. Maute group fighters occupied the Amai Pakpak Hospital and ordered the PhilHealth employees out of the facility. The fighters allegedly replaced the Philippine flag hoisted in the hospital with the Black Standard used by the Islamic State group. The 103rd Brigade of the Philippine Army stationed at Camp Ranao was attacked by at least 500 Maute group militants. President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao following the clash. Two soldiers were killed and one police officer. Casualties 12.143, 12.144, and 12.145. Eight soldiers were wounded.

This is our world, and we don't hear about its horrors enough. If we did, we would act. So seek out this information, mourn the dead and take a stand against this cancer manifesting in our society. Pray, if nothing else, then for the victims.


"May Hermes Psychopompos carry the souls of the dead safely cross the river Styx.
May Hekate, as Kourotrophos, light their way.
May Hades accept them favourably, and may the judges judge them fairly.
May Asklēpiós tend to the wounds of the injured.
May Ares instill in them the passion of life, and the strength of a thousand warriors.
May Hypnos sooth their weary minds, and cloud them in sleep.
May Dionysos calm their terror.
May They offer the same to emergency personnel and passers-by who were witnesses.
May Dikē who weeps at the injustice done upon all touched by this tragedy, clutch the strong thigh of Zeus the All-wise, and beg of Him the severest of punishments.
May All-Mighty Zeus send winged Nemesis to administer swift judgement.
May Her judgement take from the guilty parties an equal or greater price than their victims have had to pay.
May Hēlios the All-seeing whisper truth to law enforcement, and guide the investigation swiftly towards those who conceived of this terrible crime.
May wise Athena led Her aid to them.
May Zeus the All-mighty bless those who ran not from the area, but towards it, in an attempt to offer aid to those wounded or dead.
May He look favourably upon those who ran away as well, as the will to live is at the core of every mortal's life.
To all Theoi: a last plea. To protect those whom the media will persecute, but are innocent of the crime.
To protect the innocent scapegoat from the actions of a species in the grips of fear and revenge."