Paris, the refugee crisis and Catalonia

They say the first step to solving a problem is recognising that one exists, but for Catalonia, step one would be forming a government. However, until then I'd like to comment on how we all reacted to the events in Paris. Since the tragic attacks last month, a rather ugly debate has sprung up concerning the refugee crisis, terrorism and, what's worse, the conflation of the two. There also seems to be a sickening inability to grasp the West's selective solidarity. What's more, there are some people who worry that politicising the tragedy to open up a discussion and be critical of ourselves is callous and disrespectful.

With tensions running so high across Europe, making this dialogue constructive is perhaps the most positive and effective thing we actually can do. Indeed, the Paris attacks were based on some twisted world view, but politicising this event can be an initial step in preventing it from twisting our own. We may as well speak openly while everyone is still focused on the problem. This is where Catalonia should set itself apart.

Last month I was in Madrid and, as I entered the city, I was greeted by a massive “Refugees Welcome” banner. I wondered why I hadn't seen much of this around Barcelona because acknowledging the Spanish government's involvement is something Catalonia usually does well. This time though, perhaps Barcelona can proudly say it shares in the capital's sense of compassion. Indeed, the burgeoning relationship between Manuela Carmena and Ada Colau is based on a collective effort to establish lines of mutual understanding across internal divides, and create an ideology of inclusion.

Catalans should carry this over to the conversation on migrants entering Europe. It is what Catalonia must do if it seeks recognition as a nation. This is by no means a path to independence, nor am I suggesting the discourse be geared toward that aim, but opening up discussions about the same issues facing other states is a way to establish Catalonia's standing as a nation with specific values. In doing so, would we see similarities with Spain?

We can, and should, band together in solidarity with the people of Paris but we should not forget about others. Why were Lebanon and Baghdad overlooked? Is it easier to disregard suffering that is “foreign” to us because we cannot see ourselves in the people suffering? That is to say, if whiteness is a precondition for sympathy, then an increasingly diverse Catalonia is proof we cannot continue to see our world this way. Moreover, we must not fall into the trap of letting these events turn us against people and cultures that already comprise a significant part of Catalonia.

With a growing foreign population of 14.5% or 1,089,214 people –according to the Idescat statistics office– the plight of those in Syria, Lebanon, Baghdad, and indeed Paris, hits closer to home than you may have first thought. Arabic is the third-most spoken language in Catalonia, albeit with only 132,000 people –again, according to Idescat– identifying themselves as speakers, Catalans understand well that a lot of culture stems from language. If we are to welcome part of the Arabic-speaking Muslim world as our own, to what extent can we justify selective outrage and grief? Given this, we should be more aware of whose suffering we acknowledge and whose we ignore.

I mention this because this is supposed to be about Catalonia today; not tomorrow, not yesterday, but now. If Catalonia wants recognition as a nation, and thus to be regarded as one internationally, it must act like one. The country must speak up on this, and other issues. Perhaps then the rest of Europe, and the world, will finally hear our voice, not for what we want it to be, but for what it is: that of a people whose growing multiculturalism meets immigrants and refugees with dignity and respect.