Baku, Azerbaijan, March 23
By Farhad Daneshvar - Trend:
Iranians have turned to social media platforms to show their solidarity with the Belgian capital following three bomb blasts struck Brussels yesterday, claiming at least 30 lives and wounding dozens.
While the world is expressing shock and grief, Iranian social media users took the opportunity to convey their heartfelt condolences sharing cartoons of the famous Belgian comic character Tintin as a key symbol of solidarity in the deadly Brussels attacks.
"Tintin is also weeping for Brussels," a Twitter user shared the above image expressing her condolences over the horrific attack.
Following the brutal terrorist attack on Brussels, social media users across the world have circulated images of Tintin, the hero of a series of comic albums created by Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi under the pen name Hergé, as a symbol of solidarity for the city and the victims.
A group of users changed Facebook profile pictures to Belgium national flag colors in a bid to express solidarity to the victims.
However, a group of Iranian web users criticized the Belgian police and intelligence agencies for failing to identify the suspects before carrying out the attacks.
Meanwhile, some others blamed the US, Saudi Arabia and several European states for adopting wrong policies regarding fight against terrorism in the Middle East describing the terrorist attacks in the Europe as a backlash of the wrong policies.
A group of Iranian social media users also highlighted recent remarks made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warning against possible terrorist attacks in the Europe.
"There is no reason why the bomb that exploded in Ankara cannot explode in Brussels, in any other European city," Erdogan said March 18 accusing several European countries of backing terrorist groups. Erdogan's remarks came after a series of deadly terrorist attacks in capital city of Ankara as well as Istanbul over the past several months.
Belgium is observing three days of national mourning as Twin explosions at Brussels international airport, Zaventem and another at Maelbeek metro station near EU headquarters an hour later on Tuesday left about 34 dead and at least 250 wounded.
So-called Islamic State (IS) terrorist group has claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attacks and warned that more would follow.
So far, a key suspect in the attacks has been arrested and two other attackers have been named as the brothers Khalid and Brahim el-Bakraoui.
Farhad Daneshvar is Trend Agency's staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @Farhad_Danesh