Extract from the group claiming to be responsible for the bombings:
“Nation of Islam and Arab nation: Rejoice for it is time to take revenge against the British Zionist Crusader government in retaliation for the massacres Britain is committing in Iraq and Afghanistan. The heroic mujahideen have carried out a blessed raid in London. Britain is now burning with fear, terror and panic in its northern, southern, eastern, and western quarters.”
But Britain is not burning with fear, which is what I was trying to convey in my response to the previous post. Everyone is calm. I look around, and I see people working as normally, talking, laughing. They’re tougher than that.
From the BBC eyewitness accounts:
“Workers in the city of London are still trying to take in what has happened. And almost every pub around Liverpool Street is packed with people wanting to watch the One o’ clock news.
At the East India Arms, a small pub on Fenchurch Street, bankers quietly sipped their pints of Young’s bitter while listening to the news and watching the pictures of how their city has been changed. Those in the pub were recounting tales of the morning’s events, some of them speculative, much of it rumour. When the prime minister’s statement came up on the news the pub almost immediately fell silent.
However, the strange thing is that despite this terrible attack, there really is an air of people just trying to get on with things. As soon as the prime minister stopped talking, the pub erupted in conversation with all the usual talking points – contracts, deadlines and projects.”
I look around me, and I see people who are not afraid.
I wouldn’t say we were blasé, but we’ve seen it before; I grew up in London during the times when IRA bomb scares (and indeed bombs) were, if not everyday, frequent occurrences.
I don’t meant to say that people are blasé, or don’t care – they obviously do. I just find the general attitude and strength to be quite admirable.
It somewhat different to that morning of the 11th doesn’t it. Quite different…
Yes, very – although everyone was completely stunned, as we’d never had an attack like that. Since then, of course, the US media has been on their campaign of fear and mistrust.
Sorry, I was agreeing with you anyway :)
I know – I just wanted to stress that I didn’t think that people were being cold about this. :) I’m very aware of being an outsider commenting on someone else’s country here.
Your country as much as ours, m’dear – you work here, live here, contribute to what we are.
Where you’re born is no where near as important as where you choose to live.
Britain has always been a mongrel nation – we take our strength from our diversity.
Thanks. :) With any luck, I’ll formally, legally be a British citizen before too long.
I hope no one finds this offensive, but I saw it and thought of this post: The TEA ICON.
Very glad you and Phil were nowhere near the attacks. And very, very sad for those affected by them.
:(