The 7th July 2005 was just another normal day in the office for me. Working for Fedex on Nine Elms Lane in SW8, in the dispatch office.
Nothing special about the day, other than I was having a new windscreen fitted to my Mk IV Golf.
Starting work that day was straight forward, with the AutoGlass guy showing up, and me going downstairs to get him started on the car. Returning to my office, and getting back to work.
Suddenly one of the other guys in the office takes a disturbing phone call, a hysterical courier on the phone, rambling, confused, "its just blown up, in front of me, its just gone!" The line goes dead.
Up until this point, we had no real idea what was going on. A few vague reports on the radio about an explosion somewhere in London, but no firm details. Remembering, its 2005, and while the internet exists, and is becoming popular, things like Twitter and Facebook are in their infancy, and social media is yet to blossom. So except for the radio, there is no real news.
With the earlier explosions having been on tube trains, underground, away from the sight of the masses, news is slow to emerge. But thats about to change, in fact it just has. With the phonecall from Daniel being the first clue to what has just happened, minutes later our worst fears are confirmed, and the radio reports a scene of devastation on Tavistock Square where eye witnesses report a bus has been almost vaporised by an explosion.
The pieces are falling into place fast now, and it is clear that something truly horrific is unfolding in London right before our very eyes. Phones in the office burst into life, both personal mobiles, as well as business lines. Couriers trying to find out what's happening, friends and family checking in with one another.... Then silence. The mobile networks, overloaded by calls have ground to a halt, and will eventually be blocked for all but essential calls for the emergency services.
The radio with LBC on, playing in the background almost pauses for a moment, as the presenter composes themselves to deliver the news to its listeners in London. Announcing that a series of bombs have exploded on trains and at least one bus. With new still shaky about exactly where and how many bombs there have been, everyone prepares for the worst news, and maybe a second wave of attacks.
With our office less than a mile from the Mi6 building in Vauxhall Cross, and remembering back to 9/11, how planes were used to attack high profile targets. And also sitting on one of the main flight paths to Heathrow, it would be a lie to say the thought of a plane being used in a second attack didn't cross anyones mind. But for now there are more important things to deal with.
Let friends and loved ones know you are ok, emails flying, forum posts being made, and making contact with anyone you know who could be within a few miles of the situation. Work colleagues, contacting everyone on road to make sure no one else has been affected by the events. Communication is slow, painfully slow, and it takes what feels like an eternity to do a full role call of everyone. Eventually however it is done, and without much consideration to official instructions, workers are told just get out of central London and into safety, or back to base.
Calls are coming in from customers, relatives of workers, and anyone with any invested interest in the people within the company. Customers saying stay safe, don't come, and that they are going home. Concerned family members, unaware the phone networks are down, and fearing the worst as they cannot contact their relative. Calming each caller, confirming we have made contact and that they are alive and well and heading for safety.
The timeline at this point seems stretched and distorted. Memories and recollections of how things happened make no sense. How could so much have happened in such a short time.
Walking downstairs to take a quick breather, I go to see how the AutoGlass guy is getting on, asking if he has heard the news. He looks blankly at me, listening instead to a music radio station which is yet to have a news bulletin. Staring at me he switches stations and looks shocked as he starts to hear the reports.
Looking across the way into another unit on the estate we are on. The London Underground response officers are gearing up. For years now we have looked over as they calmly load up to go out to a job, maybe a minor accident etc. But today is different. Speed is of the essence, everything they have trained for has just happened, all at once, and then some. Seeing the last of the equipment going onto the many vehicles, and seeing them pull out, reality dawns on you. They are about to enter a scene of uncertainty and without doubt, complete devastation. Bodies, wreckage, hysteria, just some of the things that await these poor guys. Your thoughts go with them as they turn onto the main road and head into town.
As the radio starts to report in detail the sheer enormity of the situation, a chilling sound fills the air. I have gone cold sitting here typing this, just recalling the sight and sound which followed. The air, filled with sirens clearly travelling at speed. We all look out of the windows out on to Nine Elms Lane, and see a huge string of ambulances, some London, but mainly Surrey, pouring down the road, rushing to the scenes of the explosions. To see such a mass of home counties emergency services flooding into London, the penny drops... This is HUGE !
For the next few hours we listen intently to the radio, as the details become clearer, how many bombs, how many missing, helplines launched, appeals for all kinds of help.
Amazingly London has responded on two levels. The first being the petrified and helpless, getting away is the main thing, and every effort is made to help one another get to safety and comfort. And then the second level, unity. An amazing sight as people just forget who they are for a moment and become one amazing unit. Helping, carrying, guiding, volunteering. London has done something amazing, and probably partially driven by the history of terrorism in the capital. Refusing to be scared away, refusing to cower, people stand tall. TV cameras capture scenes as people flood into the streets, companies closing with immediate effect and sending everyone home. The transport network crippled, there is no choice but to walk. But not the usual blinkered London streets walk. But a slow paced, friendly, comforting and engaging way.
Drivers offer lifts to those who clearly will struggle to walk long distance, in the face of horror and adversity, the days events have driven people closer together and out into the streets. Not hiding behind closed doors in fear.
As the day for many draws to an end, for a very special group of people, a long day continues. Police, fire fighters, rescue crews, ambulance crews, and all sorts of other public service employees continue their tireless effort to get to the remaining victims. To sweep every carriage to ensure everyone possible is accounted for.
In the years since these events, London has returned to its usual self, and people have put events to the backs of their minds. Much more has happened since that day.
But today marks ten years since it all happened.
So today, whatever your experiences were of the day, however it affected you, let us once again unite, be as one together, and stand strong. Let us remember to those innocent people who lost their lives in such a hateful and tragic event. Lets pay tribute to the amazing efforts of all the emergency, and other services who took control that day, seamlessly springing into action and taking care of everything so well. Selfless, dedicated and committed to the job they signed up to do.
But please, let us not use this day to raise the ugly head of racism, anti religious feelings, or to play the blame game. After all, it is the infighting that the evil minded people who carry out these attacks prey on. So lets not give in. While I appreciate the media feel the need to mark the date, as do we. Reshowing the devastation, the panic and upset it caused on that day is in no way a tribute to anyone. Its cheap television, and something I don't take kindly too. I would much rather the day be filled with stories of how new bonds were made, stories of survival and defiance.
So, remember the victims, think of their families. Take a moment to reflect how the day changed your life, and pay thanks to the brave people who guided so many through the day. But please please please, don't give any negativity or hatred the time of day.
R.I.P to all those who lost their lives in the events of 7/7. Condolences to the friends and families of all those who lost a loved one on this day. My thoughts are with you today.
Showing posts with label terrorist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label terrorist. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Ban the Burqa!!............Why?
OK, so while I am on a roll for controversial blog posts, I thought I would go with this one.
A few years back people started chanting 'ban the burka' and rightfully so... Or was it?
With the rise of Britain First and all the other UK supremacy oriented Facebook groups, Twitter accounts and other such stuff, the ban the burqa thing has really made a comeback. With pictures of 'please remove crash helmets' signs side by side with a woman wearing a burqa, asking why one and not the other. So today I want to look at this.
Let me start by saying I am thinking and considering all this on the fly, so if I contradict myself it is because I have made sense of something while writing (unlikely but possible).
Lets start with crash helmets, at least most will understand the significance of these. Designed to protect the head in the event of an accident. However its important to realise that humans have used helmets of some form since 900BC. Protecting the head, a vital part of the human body has always taken priority for some reason. As the years went on, full face crash helmets for use on motorcycles became very popular.
Sadly some clever person had a long hard think about it, and realised it was the perfect normal looking, non suspicion raising items which could be worn in a street without causing alarm, then whip their sawn-off shot gun out of their bag and rob a bank. All the while, with their identity protected, and on the off chance of intervention, their head protected from the whack of a truncheon too.
Now, it was not until this point that businesses, mainly of a financial sort, started requesting their patrons removed their crash helmets when entering their premises. When these signs first started appearing there was no real noticeable uproar from the public about it. Lets face facts, its a little bit rude to try and hold any kind of person to person interaction with someone with a crash helmet on. Even by today's rude society standards, fast food delivery drivers lift their helmets to interact with the customer.
In short, the signs seen in public places asking you to remove your crash helmet have been around for years, decades in fact. If you want to blame anyone for this, or complain that its unfair, blame the blagging, bank robbing people of the 70's and 80's.
OK, so lets move on to that outrageous device, invented to irritate the UK, terror inducing, and fear provoking. THE BURQA !
Invented in 2001 just after 9/11, the burka was designed to give shelter to the evil Muslims of the world, and like ninja's, allow them to move around in society unseen, unidentifiable, and of course completely protected from any legal intervention. Protected by European law the burka leaves EVERYONE in the UK at severe risk of an imminent Muslim attack....
Oh hold on, sorry, that's UTTER BOLLOX ! I was quoting from LeftiePedia!
(no offence to Muslims intended :) )
Alright, seriously now. Firstly, the origins again. Harking back to the origins of the Islamic faith, but with no clear cut definition of its requirement or purpose, the burqa in short covers a woman from head to toe, allowing only a small gap over the eyes. In some cases even this is absent. With a thinner material or meshing over the eyes. Some belief it is for the sake of modesty, others that it allows only the husband of the wearer to see their true beauty.
However you look at the garment, one thing is clear. It has a LONG history, well documented, and one surrounded in faith, belief and tradition. It was around a long time before modern day terrorism, and even before most people in the UK had even used the word 'Muslim' or 'Islamic'.
One of the more surprising things the lack of robberies and crimes committed wearing one. Yes of course there is record of some robberies using a burqa as a disguise, but then again stockings have been used for years, but ladies are not asked to remove them before entering a bank.
More info on the burqa here...The Burqa
Of course the burqa hides the identity of the wearer, as do many many other things worn in every day life, hoodies, beanie hats, sunglasses etc, they have all been used, but granted are not banned from being worn into a bank or other establishments.
As I said before, the crash helmet was the focus of attention because it suddenly played a big role in crimes, and was something that was practical to be asked to be removed. Most obliged, and still so, with no issue whatsoever.
So the burqa.... Apparently some in the UK feel a direct parallel should be drawn between the burqa and the crash helmet, and they too should be removed before entering places where crash helmets are banned. Fair enough, so lets look at that argument shall we.
First of, who is responsible for the request to remove helmets. The government of course. Oh no hold on, its UK Immigration policy of course.... Road Traffic Act..... NOPE! The owners and operators of the premises they are banned from. Private land owners, who have stipulated some rules for entering their premises. The same as McDonalds who display signs that shirts must be worn, clubs who say no trainers, and exclusive establishments which require you to wear a suit. Its no different, honestly its not! They are simple rules, set by people who want things done in a certain way on their premises. The list of examples is endless.
IF, the banks etc felt there was a serious enough threat, im sure some sort of guideline would be put in place to ensure the safety of the people in the buildings. Alas, poor bigots, as of yet, this has not become the case.
Instead it is left to the people with issues against Muslims, burqa's, people of other nationalities and faiths to some how draw parallels to the banning of crash helmets in banks, and somehow associate this with Islamic faith and traditional dress codes.
Lets flip it for a second, when was the last time someone went on holiday to an Islamic country, and was told to take off their 3/4 length combats, their garish coloured Primark special holiday t-shirt, and stop trying to grow a beard, because you look like a dick?
Yes its true, people in Dubai for example have been arrested for sunbathing topless, or shagging in the sea... but if you do that in most of the UK you will probably find you are arrested for that here too.. Shocker I know!
Truth of the matter is, somehow, maybe because of the initial fear put in us following 9/11 and 7/7, some of us became a little over sensitive to the whole 'who is that under there' and took it a little too far. Fired on by the scaremongering of the racist population, 'ban the burqa' grew momentum, and suddenly, rather than being an anti immigration, nationalist belief, it somehow found its way into the mainstream, and was seen as a fair comparison.
I will happily admit that I became more cautious following the attacks, and had moments of feeling a little threatened, various cases and scenarios, but none that I recall were caused by seeing a group dressed in burqa's. Lets be honest here, most people in the UK would feel more threatened by seeing a group of youths on the corner of a street wearing hoodies.
Speaking of hoodies..... They were banned from being worn in shopping centres and town centres too, seen as anti social and causing alarm, Safer neighbourhood teams were encouraged to get youths to remove them. Sensible adults applauded the move, and the habit faded out a little.
But even with this example of a garment which conceals an identity being discouraged from such places, the people screaming ban the burqa missed their chance to draw comparison, and open the debate if hoodies and burqa's posed the same threat.
Of course this would be a stupid debate for one reason, the same as the crash helmet. Both the hoodie and helmet have numerous records of use in ridiculous numbers of crimes, stereotyped in the movies and TV dramas, highlighted by the PM with his 'hug a hoodie' initiative (doh!) both caused enough genuine concern to receive serious attention, and be dealt with. Meanwhile the burqa remains a lifestyle choice, a tradition, and poses little risk to members of society, unless of course you are of a nervous disposition.
This subject came to mind this morning, driving into Croydon, and seeing a large number of women taking their children to school, mums in burqa's, kids in normal nursery and school clothes. No bias shown towards hiding identities, but their choice as a citizen of a pretty liberal country. One driven by any number of factors from fashion to faith. But who are we to question what they wear and why. How often do you see people on trains being asked why they have dared to wear green and pink in one outfit. Idiots who wear sunglasses bigger than ski goggles, covering 70% of their faces are not dragged from buses and banned from Costa Coffee. Rude boys wearing sunglasses at 11pm are looked at more with pity than fear..... But burqa's.......... They are the work of the devil!
Now to even the keel a little here.
While I bash the radicals in the UK, I too frown on the radicals of any country and faith who try and impose their beliefs on others in a foreign nation. A well established faith, national traditions, and rituals and activities belong in their homelands, and in other places WHERE INVITED.
I do not believe for one second that radicals of any country or faith should be allowed to demand the rights to conduct activities banned on the soil they are on, purely based on the fact that it is the done thing in the homeland. From domestic violence, to the preaching of hatred, which happens in all directions between every faith and nationality (lets be honest here)
I have very simple beliefs on these matters.
Behave within the law (in all walks of life, not just on this matter)
Respect others beliefs. You may not agree, but its legal, and their choice.
Do not impose your beliefs and lifestyles on others. Religion, drugs, alcohol, sexuality, they are all personal choices. If someone displays interest, go ahead, share. If not, enjoy YOUR choice, don't impose it.
Multicultural integration has worked for decades. I can remember people from Asia being an uncommon site, I can recall surprise in a Welsh town at seeing a black person. Most remember the great invasion of the Polish, but this has all become the norm now. Yes there are issues, of course there are clashes, but this happens between red blooded, pure 5th generation Brits every weekend once alcohol is introduced, so lets not be ignorant here.
We don't want the Irish banned from our favourite places based on the atrocities of the IRA back in the 79's , 80's and 90's. In fact most have either never heard of the IRA, or have long forgotten about it all. Now its them there Muslim folk! For those not familiar with the IRA, I have put this link in for you. The IRA
Not comparing actions in any sort of parallel, but just drawing attention to bombs, hatred and death imposed.
Not all Muslims are terrorists.
Not all terrorists are Muslim
None of the 7/7 or 9/11 terrorists wore burqa's, although some did use them to evade arrest, cant deny that. But then again a hoodie or other disguise could have been used with ease. I will stereotype and guess that a burqa was to hand and suited purpose.
In short, to sum up... I think the burqa can be a beautiful garment, they are worn with pride, and in the name of belief in a tradition or faith. They are a lifestyle choice, and in fairness, given that most people would shy away from wearing one due to the restrictions wearing one can cause, I have respect for women choosing to wear one rather than the attire of the rest of the school run mums.
Concentrate on the nasty evil preaching radicals, and ease up on the burqa people, its not hurting anyone.
As usual, I am open to opinions, comments and all other observations on this blog, BUT I will remove anything seen as inflammatory or offensive .
A few years back people started chanting 'ban the burka' and rightfully so... Or was it?
With the rise of Britain First and all the other UK supremacy oriented Facebook groups, Twitter accounts and other such stuff, the ban the burqa thing has really made a comeback. With pictures of 'please remove crash helmets' signs side by side with a woman wearing a burqa, asking why one and not the other. So today I want to look at this.
Let me start by saying I am thinking and considering all this on the fly, so if I contradict myself it is because I have made sense of something while writing (unlikely but possible).
Lets start with crash helmets, at least most will understand the significance of these. Designed to protect the head in the event of an accident. However its important to realise that humans have used helmets of some form since 900BC. Protecting the head, a vital part of the human body has always taken priority for some reason. As the years went on, full face crash helmets for use on motorcycles became very popular.
Sadly some clever person had a long hard think about it, and realised it was the perfect normal looking, non suspicion raising items which could be worn in a street without causing alarm, then whip their sawn-off shot gun out of their bag and rob a bank. All the while, with their identity protected, and on the off chance of intervention, their head protected from the whack of a truncheon too.
Now, it was not until this point that businesses, mainly of a financial sort, started requesting their patrons removed their crash helmets when entering their premises. When these signs first started appearing there was no real noticeable uproar from the public about it. Lets face facts, its a little bit rude to try and hold any kind of person to person interaction with someone with a crash helmet on. Even by today's rude society standards, fast food delivery drivers lift their helmets to interact with the customer.
In short, the signs seen in public places asking you to remove your crash helmet have been around for years, decades in fact. If you want to blame anyone for this, or complain that its unfair, blame the blagging, bank robbing people of the 70's and 80's.
OK, so lets move on to that outrageous device, invented to irritate the UK, terror inducing, and fear provoking. THE BURQA !
Invented in 2001 just after 9/11, the burka was designed to give shelter to the evil Muslims of the world, and like ninja's, allow them to move around in society unseen, unidentifiable, and of course completely protected from any legal intervention. Protected by European law the burka leaves EVERYONE in the UK at severe risk of an imminent Muslim attack....
Oh hold on, sorry, that's UTTER BOLLOX ! I was quoting from LeftiePedia!
(no offence to Muslims intended :) )
Alright, seriously now. Firstly, the origins again. Harking back to the origins of the Islamic faith, but with no clear cut definition of its requirement or purpose, the burqa in short covers a woman from head to toe, allowing only a small gap over the eyes. In some cases even this is absent. With a thinner material or meshing over the eyes. Some belief it is for the sake of modesty, others that it allows only the husband of the wearer to see their true beauty.
However you look at the garment, one thing is clear. It has a LONG history, well documented, and one surrounded in faith, belief and tradition. It was around a long time before modern day terrorism, and even before most people in the UK had even used the word 'Muslim' or 'Islamic'.
One of the more surprising things the lack of robberies and crimes committed wearing one. Yes of course there is record of some robberies using a burqa as a disguise, but then again stockings have been used for years, but ladies are not asked to remove them before entering a bank.
More info on the burqa here...The Burqa
Of course the burqa hides the identity of the wearer, as do many many other things worn in every day life, hoodies, beanie hats, sunglasses etc, they have all been used, but granted are not banned from being worn into a bank or other establishments.
As I said before, the crash helmet was the focus of attention because it suddenly played a big role in crimes, and was something that was practical to be asked to be removed. Most obliged, and still so, with no issue whatsoever.
So the burqa.... Apparently some in the UK feel a direct parallel should be drawn between the burqa and the crash helmet, and they too should be removed before entering places where crash helmets are banned. Fair enough, so lets look at that argument shall we.
First of, who is responsible for the request to remove helmets. The government of course. Oh no hold on, its UK Immigration policy of course.... Road Traffic Act..... NOPE! The owners and operators of the premises they are banned from. Private land owners, who have stipulated some rules for entering their premises. The same as McDonalds who display signs that shirts must be worn, clubs who say no trainers, and exclusive establishments which require you to wear a suit. Its no different, honestly its not! They are simple rules, set by people who want things done in a certain way on their premises. The list of examples is endless.
IF, the banks etc felt there was a serious enough threat, im sure some sort of guideline would be put in place to ensure the safety of the people in the buildings. Alas, poor bigots, as of yet, this has not become the case.
Instead it is left to the people with issues against Muslims, burqa's, people of other nationalities and faiths to some how draw parallels to the banning of crash helmets in banks, and somehow associate this with Islamic faith and traditional dress codes.
Lets flip it for a second, when was the last time someone went on holiday to an Islamic country, and was told to take off their 3/4 length combats, their garish coloured Primark special holiday t-shirt, and stop trying to grow a beard, because you look like a dick?
Yes its true, people in Dubai for example have been arrested for sunbathing topless, or shagging in the sea... but if you do that in most of the UK you will probably find you are arrested for that here too.. Shocker I know!
Truth of the matter is, somehow, maybe because of the initial fear put in us following 9/11 and 7/7, some of us became a little over sensitive to the whole 'who is that under there' and took it a little too far. Fired on by the scaremongering of the racist population, 'ban the burqa' grew momentum, and suddenly, rather than being an anti immigration, nationalist belief, it somehow found its way into the mainstream, and was seen as a fair comparison.
I will happily admit that I became more cautious following the attacks, and had moments of feeling a little threatened, various cases and scenarios, but none that I recall were caused by seeing a group dressed in burqa's. Lets be honest here, most people in the UK would feel more threatened by seeing a group of youths on the corner of a street wearing hoodies.
Speaking of hoodies..... They were banned from being worn in shopping centres and town centres too, seen as anti social and causing alarm, Safer neighbourhood teams were encouraged to get youths to remove them. Sensible adults applauded the move, and the habit faded out a little.
But even with this example of a garment which conceals an identity being discouraged from such places, the people screaming ban the burqa missed their chance to draw comparison, and open the debate if hoodies and burqa's posed the same threat.
Of course this would be a stupid debate for one reason, the same as the crash helmet. Both the hoodie and helmet have numerous records of use in ridiculous numbers of crimes, stereotyped in the movies and TV dramas, highlighted by the PM with his 'hug a hoodie' initiative (doh!) both caused enough genuine concern to receive serious attention, and be dealt with. Meanwhile the burqa remains a lifestyle choice, a tradition, and poses little risk to members of society, unless of course you are of a nervous disposition.
This subject came to mind this morning, driving into Croydon, and seeing a large number of women taking their children to school, mums in burqa's, kids in normal nursery and school clothes. No bias shown towards hiding identities, but their choice as a citizen of a pretty liberal country. One driven by any number of factors from fashion to faith. But who are we to question what they wear and why. How often do you see people on trains being asked why they have dared to wear green and pink in one outfit. Idiots who wear sunglasses bigger than ski goggles, covering 70% of their faces are not dragged from buses and banned from Costa Coffee. Rude boys wearing sunglasses at 11pm are looked at more with pity than fear..... But burqa's.......... They are the work of the devil!
Now to even the keel a little here.
While I bash the radicals in the UK, I too frown on the radicals of any country and faith who try and impose their beliefs on others in a foreign nation. A well established faith, national traditions, and rituals and activities belong in their homelands, and in other places WHERE INVITED.
I do not believe for one second that radicals of any country or faith should be allowed to demand the rights to conduct activities banned on the soil they are on, purely based on the fact that it is the done thing in the homeland. From domestic violence, to the preaching of hatred, which happens in all directions between every faith and nationality (lets be honest here)
I have very simple beliefs on these matters.
Behave within the law (in all walks of life, not just on this matter)
Respect others beliefs. You may not agree, but its legal, and their choice.
Do not impose your beliefs and lifestyles on others. Religion, drugs, alcohol, sexuality, they are all personal choices. If someone displays interest, go ahead, share. If not, enjoy YOUR choice, don't impose it.
Multicultural integration has worked for decades. I can remember people from Asia being an uncommon site, I can recall surprise in a Welsh town at seeing a black person. Most remember the great invasion of the Polish, but this has all become the norm now. Yes there are issues, of course there are clashes, but this happens between red blooded, pure 5th generation Brits every weekend once alcohol is introduced, so lets not be ignorant here.
We don't want the Irish banned from our favourite places based on the atrocities of the IRA back in the 79's , 80's and 90's. In fact most have either never heard of the IRA, or have long forgotten about it all. Now its them there Muslim folk! For those not familiar with the IRA, I have put this link in for you. The IRA
Not comparing actions in any sort of parallel, but just drawing attention to bombs, hatred and death imposed.
Not all Muslims are terrorists.
Not all terrorists are Muslim
None of the 7/7 or 9/11 terrorists wore burqa's, although some did use them to evade arrest, cant deny that. But then again a hoodie or other disguise could have been used with ease. I will stereotype and guess that a burqa was to hand and suited purpose.
In short, to sum up... I think the burqa can be a beautiful garment, they are worn with pride, and in the name of belief in a tradition or faith. They are a lifestyle choice, and in fairness, given that most people would shy away from wearing one due to the restrictions wearing one can cause, I have respect for women choosing to wear one rather than the attire of the rest of the school run mums.
Concentrate on the nasty evil preaching radicals, and ease up on the burqa people, its not hurting anyone.
As usual, I am open to opinions, comments and all other observations on this blog, BUT I will remove anything seen as inflammatory or offensive .
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Ten years later.
The next 48 hours see the commemoration of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre. The world watched on live on television as almost three thousand people died right before our eyes. With the introduction on the flood of live feeds of media that surged to the forefront of news reporting, this was the first time the modern world would watch a truly dreadful disaster unfold, live around the world.
The murder of a single person alone is so very wrong, but to witness the murders of so many people in such a way changed the way the average person perceives and understands religious fanatics, terrorism, and the simple vulnerability of human life. People in the buildings, on the planes, on the ground, going about their daily business were wiped out in the blink of an eye. Not a single pedestrian hit by a speeding car, nor a cowardly robbery going wrong, but something unimaginable and far far worse.
Many people lived out their last 30-60 minutes being held captive on hijacked planes, not knowing or understanding the causes they were being held for, and certainly never expecting to be used a missile being smashed into a building full of innocent people. A brave few tried to take control of the planes back, other desperately tried to contact loved ones on the ground to find out what was happening.
The whole world so learned this story, tales of amazing escape, horrific death, and how fate controlled who died that day. People over sleeping, others getting to work early and so on. Look at it from any perspective and the outcome is the same, fanatical religious people making a statement reigned terror on a previously safe country, taking the lives of almost 3,000 people, and changing the way the world functions forever more. Airport security, cargo scanning, and the worlds understanding of the lengths a fanatic will go to to get their 'message' across.
The result.. A decade of war, thousands more dying, and in reality absolutely no change to the state of things, other than what I can only call a poorer quality of life for those tangled up in all of this. Muslims around the world looked at in a different way, negative light brought to the Islamic nations of the world, making the mass public believe they stand for terror and are fanatically religious, instability in society. Sweeping judgements made on people because they 'fit the description' and so on.
On Sept 11 2001, a group of cowardly individuals, believing themselves to be martyrs, messengers from their god, reigned terror on the western world. Instead of achieving what they felt they would, by terrorising the world, they actually called upon the world to rise up against them, and all those people of similar beliefs, and rage war against them. Was the declaration of war against themselves worth the 3,000 people who died in the attacks, of course it wasn't. But is the price for their actions finally being paid, I believe so.
A decade on Afghanistan stands strong, and as it has for decades of the past, it remains defiant and impenetrable, certainly to the western influences on it anyway. Russia, USA, NATO, UN.. And so on, no body has ever had a positive impact on the goings on inside the country. However on the grand scheme of things 9/11 didn't impact avery aspect of life in the USA either, but it made some changes that will last for ever. Looking at it this way, it is fair to say that the efforts in Afghanistan from the outside world have done the same. Reducing poppy crops, taking money away from the Taliban, and impacting their effectiveness. Changing the mindset of some of those in the country, slowly installing a greater change from within.
Ten years on I believe in a strange way, we are all somehow wiser. Continued television coverage of efforts inside the country, tales from both sides of the fences told openly have enriched the worlds understanding of so much.
We are better educated about the Koran. Ten years ago a lot of people could not even tell you what it was, let alone much about the muslim faith. Now we are wiser, intelligent in our decisions and understandings of what these other religions other than christianity are all about.
We now see the plight of the normal people within these countries, and what these people really want. Not the fanatical regimes who have brainwashed the world into believing the whole country wishes to rage war against the UK or USA, but the other 99.9% who just want a free life, to live the way their elders did, and to follow the peaceful beliefs they have.
Libya stands as a great example of this. For so many years standing before as a nation of terror, responsible for Lockerbie, threatening danger and attacks at any moment. Yet suddenly we see the majority of the countryman standing up, rising above the regime, and putting their lives on the line to fight for a free existence, and no longer be repressed by the regime which has stood stong for four decades, and threatened to be handed down through the ruling family.
Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, where next? As the world continues to evolve, as man continues to grow wiser, and become more interested and educated in how fragile the divide between cultures really is, we can only hope that more nations revolt under their own steam, rather than the example of Iraq, where many years later, due to our misunderstandings, and misguided expectations of another culture, prevent us from having the effect we always claimed we wanted to achieve.
So tomorrow, as the world falls silent once again in respect of the innocent people who died in the attacks on the USA on 9/11 ten years ago, and hopefully also remembering those of 7/7 who were used in such a sacrificial way, a little light inside of me will glow a little brighter. As we remember those who perished, for a short moment the world will unite, one single shared thought on our minds, proving that race, religion, ethnicity, social class and whatever other pigeon holes exist, have no baring on our ability to believe.
Unity makes the world a stronger place, and tomorrows example will hopefully be another step closer to man understanding just how precious life really is. Your culture may not be mine, but I respect all other cultures, and believe the one common goal of all cultures are religion is a full and worthwhile life for all.
Thank you for reading this somewhat epic entry.
I will never forget the day I spent watching Sky news for 24 hours, watching the world I knew change for ever.
RIP all those who died on this day, and in subsequent campaigns of both peace and terror.
Just as a footnote. With all this speak of peace I have just done, I would like to say anyone who preaches hatred on this day as other grieve and show their respects, deserves no mercy and should be punished to the full extent of the law.
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