As the rest of the world prays for the victims in the Paris attacks, France's capital city is trembling with fear. The coordinated attacks, the responsibility of which was claimed by Isis, has left many Parisians stranded. Despite the violence and threats, humanity has risen above terrorism in the wake of the attacks.
Soon after the attacks, "#PorteOuverte" started trending on Twitter. The phrase, which translates to "door open", is added to tweets that provide information on where the people stranded in the aftermath of the blasts can go.
Rohan Singh Kalsi, a Sikh man, had posted "Anybody who's stranded in Paris and needs shelter and somewhere safe, any Sikh Gurdwara (temple) will be happy to accommodate #PorteOuverte (sic)", and received wide-ranging attention for it.
However, the humble man reminded his followers the issue at hand was more important than him. Along with a post thanking people who spoke of him in a kind light, Kalsi added: "Just to be clear though, this isn't about me. I was just doing what our beautiful Gurus taught us to do, be good people, help humanity and treat everybody with love and respect."
As posted by Kalsi, all Gurdwaras in Europe welcomed those in need with love and kindness. Further, Guru Nanak Gurdwara, the largest Sikh Gurdwara in Europe, turned blue, white and red in solidarity with the people of France.
Unfortunately, the there are not many Gurdwaras close to the areas of attack. Regardless, the people of Paris have therefore stepped up in providing a safe home for those in need. It is understood that taxis are also offering free rides to people from bus and metro stations.
@RohanSinghKalsi @jagmeetNDP thank you for that! Parisians are also welcoming people in their house by the use of the #porteouverte
— Anmol Sodhi (@ansodhi) November 13, 2015
Foreigners in Paris, room for 2 persons for the night or the week-end, line 13, Mairie de Clichy, I'll be there if needed #porteouverte — Maïtosaure (@Fredouat) November 13, 2015
Reports that Paris taxis are taking people home for free after bus and metro lines close.
— Tina Daheley (@TinaDaheley) November 13, 2015