Holland has been on high alert since a Dutch Muslim of Moroccan descent murdered filmmaker Theo van Gogh in 2004, authorities in Spain have been monitoring some 250 suspected Islamic radicals, and in Bosnia five men are on trial for allegedly plotting an attack on an unidentified European country — significantly, one with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In an open letter released this weekend by prominent British Islamic groups, it was stated that Britain has been made a target as a result of the “debacle in Iraq” and the failure to quickly secure a ceasefire in southern Lebanon as Israel waged a military campaign against Hezbollah.
So what is the truth behind the new wave of terror? Is it Blair, Bush and their Middle East policies? Is it down to Islam and, as a few commentators have claimed, a lack of responsibility offered on the part of Islamic leaders? Is it as the Archbishop of York has stated – the alienation of young Muslims? Is it all of the above or even none of the above? What is certain is that there can be no excuse for the actions taken by the terrorists.
Some commentators argue that the foreign policies of Bush and Blair make them the real terrorists as if that excuses the terrorist bombing campaigns and random mass killing of civilians as targets. It doesn’t.
The wisdom for building peaceful relations on the national and international levels, between one group and another group of people, is that they cannot be maintained by such lawful, ‘eye-for-an-eye’ relationships. Rather, the core pillars that society must be built upon are patience and harmony through the demonstration of a greater love, a love that looks beyond the differences to the commonalities – our humanity, the God-given ability of every individual to love like no other creation.
The amazing strength of Gee Walker, mother of murdered teenager Anthony Walker, reveals the love that we all must strive for – offering generous forgiveness even when faced with the horror of losing someone we consider more precious than our own lives.
In the face of hatred, in the midst of losing the one thing that mattered most in her life, Gee Walker testified the forgiveness she had received through her faith in Jesus Christ. This is all she, in turn, had to offer her son’s killers.
She stated simply: “His life is going to make a change”.
Mrs Walker does not know why they young men now behind bars killed her innocent son, beyond the explanation that it was an attack rooted in hatred. In a similar way, we also do not know for certain the real reason why people change from apparently law-abiding citizens into unrecognisable images so far removed from the image of generous love, and commit such heinous crimes against society.
The hatred spreading among terrorists and extremists is global in reach as such pockets of homegrown terrorists continue to crop up not just in the UK or Europe. With the problem so far-reaching, surely it is now time to focus on what can be done to reveal universally held values that bring about the beautiful life that everyone is looking for, be it Bush, Blair, an innocent civilian, or indeed a young Muslim being primed for terrorism,.
Common values built upon respect and love must be promoted above all things and laid down as a foundation upon which a lasting reconciliation can be built. This is the hope we must all retain and work in unity towards.
