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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