Terrorism and asylum
We’re being treated, yet again, to the Press conflating two issues that have little to do with one another but that sell newspapers – terrorism and asylum. At least two of the tabloids today have front-page headlines about one of the London bombers apparently having arrived in Britain as a boy, as part of a family that was granted asylum. How, the papers ask, could he have done this to us?
A better question, though, is how did we fail this family to such an extent that their son did this to himself, to them and to the country that was supposed to protect them all?
An even better question is, what about the rest of the bombers? Most of the London bombers were born and brought up in Britain. They were British. How has this country so failed to include its own people that they feel as these young men did – closer to their fellow-religionists in the Middle East than to their neighbours in Leeds and London? The current media trends, of demonising muslims and the now-traditional targets of immigrants and asylum seekers, will only make this worse. They will only further divide our people when what we need is to draw closer together, to break down the walls of ignorance and prejudice (on all sides) and to learn more about one another.
If we can learn the truth about one another, it might be difficult, it might even be ugly, but at least it will be the truth.
pax et bonum
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I can’t believe you are blaming your countrymen for the evil that men do. They CHOSE to do wrong. It is the unfortunate result that free will allows for freedom to chose evil. Furthermore, in free countries such as yours and mine, we allow families to raise their own children in the way they wish. Inevitably, some will chose the worst methods.
Perhaps you would outlaw the radical Islamofascist educations that are available in the free world? or, do you honestly think we can convert them all after 18 years of brainwashing to our side?
Some? Of course. All? Never. Freedom has costs.
Hammertime () (URL)
10:43pm on 01 August 2005