On the evening of November 13^th, seven terrorist attacks in Paris were carried out, killing at least 129 civilians. The first two attacks occurred just after 9:20 PM with two simultaneous explosions, each only 4 miles away from the other. The attacks then moved to the central part of the city, where the gunmen opened fire on a Cambodian restaurant. The fourth attack occurred when the gunmen opened fire on a pizzeria, killing at least five. The militants then opened fire on a bar, killing an estimated 19. The sixth and most deadly attack came at a concert venue that was featuring a United States’ band killing at least 89. The final and seventh attack took place in the Stade de France, causing even more panic among the people already trying to flee from the first explosions.

The attacks were described by President Francois Hollande as an “act of war” organized by the Islamic State militant group. ISIS recently issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attacks. This is not verified, though, as ISIS has been known to take credit for terrorist attacks, even if they were not responsible. Although their involvement is very possible, in their statement they only include information that could have easily been obtained by news sources.

These attacks have caused reluctance to accept Syrian refugees across the world, as many fear that terrorists will use this as a method of entering in countries unnoticed. Soon after the Paris attacks, in Poland the government refused to accept refugees. In the United States, there is a debate going on about this very topic. After all, the United States stands for equal opportunity no matter where someone is from. Yet at least twenty four governors are requesting that measures be taken to keep these refugees from settling in their states. Twenty six are saying that they either are opposed, or are giving no comments regarding their stance. After recent criticism President Obama promised that the United States will admit about 10,000 Syrian refugees within the next year. This is a large increase considering in the last four years of conflict, only about 1,800 refugees have been allowed to enter the United States.

“I think we should be more open to letting more people in, because when it comes down to it, these people aren’t looking to cause harm. Imagine the same thing happening in the United States. We would want other countries to offer us a helping hand and open their doors to us” Cameron Mirhossaini, 12.

These attacks have no doubt shown the resilience of France and the support of surrounding countries. Only the future will show the fate of the Syrian refuges.