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This week two attackers armed with kitchen knives ran over with a car, killed and butchered
Lee Rigby, a 25 year old soldier in the London borough of Woolwich. It was about 2 in the
afternoon.
After the attack, the two killers actively sought out interaction with passers by, yelled
Allahu Akbar and encouraged the public to film their work until the police arrived on
the scene. Here is a piece of footage taken by a passer by.
These images are deliberately horrific and provocative. They wanted to cause a scene
and wanted to get caught and get the attention from the media that they are now getting.
It is difficult to cover a story like this because you don't want to give the perpetrators
what they want, more recognition and fame. Yet, I feel at least, that it is still important
to talk about these incidences while they are still fresh in our minds.
Something that you may not know is the fact that the evening after the attack the English
Defence League, a far right, racist organisation, planned a march on the London borough.
The march clashed briefly with police but seemed to be broken up rather quickly. Some
bottles were thrown, nothing more. This hasn't been reported on in mainstream media, probably
to avoid the situation escalating. I think this is sensible.
On the other pole of extremist views -- the radical preacher Anjem Choudary who knew one
of the attackers, was seen on news night refusing to condemn the killing.
There have also been more heart warming reactions to the attacks -- like Help for Heroes, the
charity who produce the T-Shirts that the soldier was wearing when he was murdered,
having their website crash due to people logging on to buy the shirts in tribute. Not to mention
the women who went to try and help the man who was stabbed to death.
The men who killed this soldier justified their actions by saying that British soldiers
have been killing Muslims abroad, and so they have taken the life of a British soldier.
So how have these young men gotten to the point where their home country is the enemy,
and violence, not democracy, is the answer?
Asghar Bukhari of the Muslim Public Affairs Committee, commented in the aftermath on several
news casts. On BBC News he said the buck stopped in two places.
With the failure of the Muslim community in Britain to engage with these disillusioned
youths, and the government of the UK for failing to admit that there is a link between our
foreign policy in the Muslim world and the radicalisation of British Muslims.
My question for you, is do you agree with him? The radicalisation of young Muslims happens
in this country. If the buck doesn't stop at the elders in the Muslim community and
the British government, who does it stop with? Because this is a problem.
Leave me a comment or video response, get involved in the discussion that invariably
takes place in the comments below. This channel is about debate -- so make sure your voice
is heard.
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