Editorial | Dan Qayyum
London stands shocked and horrified as two men, armed with knives and cleavers, hacked to death a British soldier in full public view yesterday. The attackers claimed on video to be acting in the name of Islam, calling their actions a reprisal for the policies and actions of the British government and armed forces in Islamic lands.
Eye witness accounts and the video of one of the attackers suggest substance abuse, which may explain their decision to hang around after the crime was committed, and then attempt to engage armed police units with an old, rusty revolver. Some reports suggest the revolver blew up in the attacker’s hands, taking with it some of his fingers.
From a sane perspective, this was an isolated incident where a couple of drug influenced, mentally challenged individuals carried out a horrific crime, while hiding behind their religion and persecution complexes and attempting to ‘make a point’.
In a saner world, this would be labelled as a criminal action and the world would move on, as it did with Columbine, and the Anders Breivik shootings.
But since there are Muslims involved this time around, everyone with a platform will use this incident as a soapbox now to further their agendas. The paranoia is at fever pitch. David Cameron is leading ‘Cobra’ meetings which we’re told are extremely serious. Far right groups, such as the English Defence League (EDL), are out in force, demanding the expulsion of ALL Muslims from the United Kingdom, while innocent Muslims are being harassed and threatened, and mosques vandalized around the country. The media is busy fanning the flames, not realizing that it may lead to an explosive (no pun intended) situation on London’s streets, with scenes reminiscent from the 2011 riots in the city.
The dead soldier and his family deserve more dignity than that. Sanity needs to prevail. Those with an agenda, whatever their allegiance or religion, should be shouted down. The ‘message’ of the terrorists, alarmists and those bent on spreading anarchy should not be allowed to have such power. Such killings have no justification or basis in core Islamic teachings, nor are they permitted. Neither do isolated cases such as these represen the two-billion-strong, diverse and peaceful population of Muslims worldwide.
The Muslim Council of Britain, to its credit, issued a swift statement condemning the attack in the strongest terms.
“This is a truly barbaric act that has no basis in Islam, and we condemn this unreservedly. Our thoughts are with the victim and his family. We understand the victim is a serving member of the Armed Forces. Muslims have long served in this country’s Armed Forces, proudly and with honour. This attack on a member of the Armed Forces is dishonourable, and no cause justifies this murder. This action will no doubt heighten tensions on the streets of the United Kingdom. We call on all our communities, Muslim and non-Muslim, to come together in solidarity to ensure the forces of hatred do not prevail. It is important we allow our police authorities to do their job without speculation. We also urge the utmost vigilance and ask the police authorities to calm tensions.”
The authorities now need to step in and ensure that tensions are minimized and law and order maintained. This event should not be allowed to be used to demonize the millions of Muslims living peacefully and contributing to Western societies in a positive manner. It it were left to the media and right-wing hate mongers such as the EDL, every Muslim would be seen as a terrorist and a potential target for hate crime - further increasing the divide.
Not to be seen as justification for this act - as there can never be one - there is a critical need for introspection, and questions must be asked on the conduct of the British government and armed forces overseas - which nutters like the Woolwich killers use as justification to further terrorize people. What happened in Woolwich yesterday happens every day in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, with direct or tacit involvement of the British. Massacres of innocent civilians on other shores will continue to have a ripple effect at home in multicultural Britain. Injustice and terror inflicted upon innocent populations needs to be stopped, regardless of where it happens – Basra, Helmand, Homs, or London.
Dan Qayyum is an editor and analyst at PKKH.tv – writing on Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Dan also writes for the defense and security journal Fortress Magazine, published out of Karachi, Pakistan, and is a senior research fellow at the Pakistan Institute of Strategic Affairs.