Ten years have passed since the coordinated terrorist attacks that struck Brussels on March 22, 2016, targeting Zaventem Airport and the Maalbeek metro station. The attacks, claimed by the Islamic State (IS), resulted in 32 deaths and over 300 injuries, leaving a lasting scar on the city and its residents. For those who were present, the memories remain vivid and profoundly impactful.
Malin Björk, a Swedish Member of the European Parliament at the time, and her partner, Virginie Jortay, were among those caught in the chaos at Zaventem Airport. Having arrived on a flight from New York for their first trip alone without their young children, they found themselves facing a horrific ordeal that would reshape their perspectives. Their experience, recounted in a recent report from Dagens Nyheter, offers a poignant glimpse into the immediate aftermath and the enduring emotional toll of the attacks.
Björk and Jortay were waiting for their luggage when the first explosion ripped through the departure hall at 7:58 am local time, followed by a second nine seconds later. “The first sound was dull and distant. The second shook the entire building,” Björk recalled, describing how the ceiling trembled and debris fell around them. “Your brain doesn’t immediately register that it’s a bomb.” She was already near the exit when the blasts occurred, and she and Jortay exchanged a worried glance, with Jortay gesturing for Björk to move towards the doors. The airport was plunged into chaos, with panicked crowds attempting to escape.
The couple’s immediate concern was for each other’s safety. Björk managed to reach safety outside, and urged Jortay to join her. They encountered a surreal scene as they attempted to leave, witnessing a woman seemingly oblivious to the danger, rushing back into the terminal. “It was so absurd. We told her, ‘You can’t go in there. It’s a bomb. Turn back,’” Björk recounted. Despite their warnings, and those of the taxi driver, the woman proceeded into the airport. The attacks at Zaventem were quickly followed by another explosion at the Maelbeek/Maalbeek metro station in the city’s European Quarter, bringing the total death toll to 32, according to Wikipedia.
The immediate aftermath was marked by fear and uncertainty. Björk and Jortay, having already reached their home, focused on shielding their children from the full impact of the events. “The days after, much of our energy went into the children. I absolutely didn’t want them to feel there was a risk of losing their parents in an instant. We downplayed it significantly for them,” Björk explained. However, the presence of military personnel on the streets and the closure of schools made it impossible to completely shield them from the reality of the situation.
Jortay, who was a school principal at the time, was struck by the lack of preparedness. She noted conflicting instructions from the local authorities and the absence of a crisis plan. Björk, however, disagreed, arguing that while preparedness is important, it’s impossible to fully prepare for such an extreme event. “We must obtain better at ensuring that groups with political capital for violence do not spread. But I don’t think you can prepare for an event this extreme,” she stated.
In the wake of the tragedy, Björk and Jortay observed a remarkable display of solidarity from ordinary citizens. Jortay recounted returning to the airport a week later to retrieve her luggage and being moved by the outpouring of support. “There were so many people helping to get everyone the right bags, and a psychologist team. You glance at all the bags, they’re just bags, but you cry because so many people are helping,” she said.
The differing perspectives of Björk, a politician raised in a secure Swedish environment, and Jortay, a writer with a Belgian family history marked by the Holocaust, highlight the varied ways in which individuals process trauma. Jortay expressed a belief that “Terror is just a way to express humanity’s inherent will to violence. The reasons are different, the expressions are different, but the violence must arrive out. It’s a human problem.” Björk, however, maintained a more optimistic outlook, stating, “I think more in humanity.”
The Brussels attacks, alongside events like the 2011 attacks in Norway by Anders Breivik and the 2015 Bataclan theatre shooting in Paris, have profoundly shaped their worldview. “But if you are threatened by terrorists, the answer can only be to try to rebuild society more,” Björk asserted. “Where you see yourself in others, something like this cannot happen.”
Jortay also reflected on the limitations of language in conveying the depth of trauma. “There is no vocabulary to convey to the listener what it does to the body, to the soul. There is no code for trauma. Should there be? Apparently not, because we haven’t had it for thousands of years.”
In July 2023, six individuals were convicted for their roles in the Brussels attacks, with four receiving sentences for terror-related murder and attempted murder, and two for participation in a terrorist group, as reported by BBC News. The attacks remain a stark reminder of the ongoing threat of terrorism and the importance of international cooperation in addressing it.
As the tenth anniversary passes, the focus shifts to continued vigilance, strengthening societal resilience, and supporting those affected by the attacks. The long-term impact on Belgium and the broader European security landscape remains a subject of ongoing analysis and debate. The necessitate for continued dialogue and collaboration to counter extremism and promote inclusivity is paramount.
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