BULLETIN:  London Bombed in an al Qaeda Style Attack

            It is July 7, 2005.  As I write this letter, terrorism’s drumbeat marches on as our human species simultaneously strives to improve the status of the poor.  Just days earlier, musicians and singers had gathered around the globe to rally support in a Live 8 Concert emphasizing the critical importance to urge the G8 (the world’s eight most powerful economic powers) to forgive debt and give further support to the poor underdeveloped countries of Africa.

            With songs and messages, the G8 heard the people’s voices and they responded in kind with actions to help alleviate the African continent’s debt and to further their future development.  Great Britain’s Prime Minister, Tony Blair, spoke out strongly in full support to help.  Soon after, the Olympic Committee had awarded London the privilege to host the 2012 Olympics.  Newspaper headlines and pictures showed jubilant Londoners celebrating in Trafalgar Square.  The next day the headlines heralded the terrorist strikes on London’s public transit system.  Pictures of a roofless, blown-up, red double-decker bus and news videos of bloodied, soot faced transit passengers emerging from the subway tubes and victims receiving medical care on the city streets were seen around the world.

            From joy to dismay, Tony Blair left the G8 in Scotland to return to the emergency situation in London.  It is ironic, that in our emerging new global culture, just songs and music can elicit significant awareness and resolve to help human life, and in the next moment, terror bombings in London can take human life, yet also create heightened awareness and renewed resolve and sentiment against terrorists.  Unfortunately, money, time and human efforts are being diverted from helping undernourished nation-organs of the whole body of mankind to fight the disease of terrorism.

            The Koran says, “make Jihad to help the oppressed”.  But the terrorist strikes in London are an example where Jihad hurts the efforts to help the oppressed.  And to all terrorist plotters that would blow-up public transportation and civilian buildings in any city, you must know that “believers of Islam” - good Muslims will surely be among the dead and wounded.  And if you are so ardent in your religious belief, then you also know that you are violating an important tenant of the Koran, for, “whoever kills a believer intentionally, his punishment is hell to live therein forever.  He shall incur the wrath of Allah, who will lay his curse on him and prepare for him a woeful punishment.”

            Your al Qaeda network claims ‘bragging rights’ in its ability to attack, maim and kill civilians in a modern western city.  But do you also claim the right to put your fellow Muslims in an involuntary lose-lose situation?  Because 9% of Londoners are Muslims, therefore, in any attacks on London’s mass transit, one out of ten casualties that are killed or wounded will be Muslim.  That makes Muslims also targets of your terror acts and creates a loss for Islam.

            Another loss is that those Muslims who have left countries of oppression and limited opportunity to make a living and a better life in London now feel that they are perceived suspiciously.  Despite the fact that after the London attacks police were on patrol to protect Mosques from any backlash, many women feared to wear their veils on the street if they went out.  Many Muslims felt ashamed and embarrassed of the attacks and that they might be associated with the terrorists simply because they are of the same religion. 

            But in spite of your efforts to divide the people of London into religious antagonistic factions, there is hope and opportunity for the majority of hard working, good Muslims.  In a statement of the Muslim council of Britain, Iqbal Sacranic, the council’s secretary-general said, “Our faith of Islam calls upon us to be beholders of justice.  The day after terrorists bloodied London finds us determined to help secure this justice for the innocent victims of yesterday’s carnage.  The terrorists may have thought they could divide us and make us panic.  It is our hope that we will all prove them conclusively wrong.”