London bombing: few thoughts

This will be an interesting day. Not quite like the morning of September 11, 2001, but similar. My thoughts are with all my friends in London and the city dwellers in general.

I condemn these dastardly attacks in no uncertain terms. The government of the UK, especially Tony Blair, is to a large extent responsible for the war on Iraq based on lies and the atrocities and the chaos in the aftermath.

I wish to express my deepest sympathies to Mr Cheesman and to all my friends and relatives living in England. I also wish to advise Ms. Asfia not to mix up things. One injustice to revenge another injustice doesn't make it even. A crime is a crime and that must be condemned to the fullest. Life is a precious gift of Allah and no one has any right to blow himself up or other innocent people. We all know that there are reasons of anger, desperation in the Muslim world but that cannot justify killing ordinary people.

I thank Dr Cheesman for raising money for the people of Bangladesh during the severe floods last year. Thank you. And let me tell you on behalf of most if not all Bangladeshi people that we share your pain, we do.

Shahid H Khandker Canada

The four bombings in London have brought back the fear of lack of safety and instability that everyone felt during the 9/11 incident. This was an inhuman act which proved nothing but one thing: that these individuals are wrong and deprived of any semblance of feeling or intellectuality. A few individuals are responsible for this deed and I hope the world blames the individuals involved and not a nation, or a people or even a religion. This is the work of mad men. Unfortunately, in this case the reason was religion.

Nowhere in Islam is suicide or murder condoned and one can only hope that societies understand this and the innocent, peaceful Muslim populations do not suffer the repercussions of this barbaric act. To be honest one should not care about what could cause a person to commit suicide and at the same time end the lives of others. People will always be unhappy, there will always be conflict, argument, political issues, social issues, poverty and unrest.

The only reality is that world peace is at stake because of some mad men and their beliefs and it is up to people like us to take away that power from them.

Zeenat, UPS eDeployment

In response to Ashifa's letter dated July the 12 in The Daily Star, I would like point out that Londen bombing is somewhat different from other incidents of such kind.

The crucial question is why some British born young men did something like that to their own country? What drove them to do something so barbaric? Some came up with generalisation that those young men were not well integrated into the mainstream British society and they were somewhat marginalised. But, generalisation of such kind is hard to establish, since, there are other marginalisation of different nature within the Great Britain. However, had some non-British people carried out the attack, the "point to ponder" could have been different from what it is now.

I think it is the ideology that provided with reason, confidence and provoked those young men to carry out such an attack on innocent members of the public.

A A Faruk, On e-mail

This is for attention of Dr. David Cheesman of Luton, UK (DS July 10), it goes without much saying that all peace loving people of Bangladesh solidly stand united with you against any terror or inhuman acts and we never support any dreadful event or action, be it against our own people or people at large wherever it may be.

But as a normal human being, having a little bit of common sense, I want to convey my humble feeling that I also agree with Dr. Cheesman, as many will, nothing much will be achieved by terrorism --whoever is behind it. But we can perhaps eradicate terrorism if we all sincerely and honestly think and work to achieve the goal. What will come out of G8 or G80, for that matter, if we do not work to wipe it out from the roots.

I humbly say to the great people of Great Britain that you will perhaps not see terrorism again if you can get rid of a leader like Tony Blair and accept that 'Muslims are also Humans'.

A F Rahman, On e-mail

It is a matter of great concern that after the London bomb attack, Muslims are being targeted deliberately. More than half a million Bangladeshi expatriates living in London are passing every moment amid fear and scare of racial and communal tension. Already a British born Pakistani has been attacked . Mosques are being burnt down. Men and women are remaining at home, and children are abstaining from going to school.

It is up to the British people and the government to tackle all kinds of racial tension and make their multicultural society unified, rather than divided in the name of colour and religion.

Md. Harisur Rahman JU

I have never been to England, let alone, London. My Father however fought in WWII and was stationed there. I remember him sharing his two years that he spent there, loading bombers. He talked well of the People and had some good memories even though war was raging. The folks at home he said teased him because when he came home from England, he had picked up an accent or so he said.

I am writing to you because London's great loss has gripped our hearts here at home. Some of us feel a need to come and be with you but not really knowing what we could do, or should do or say. We are praying for all of you especially those who have suffered personal loss and tragedy, that Allah send his mighty compassion and wrap his loving arms around you and you must know He is with you through this time of trouble.

A reader, Missouri USA

The barbaric attacks on tubes and a bus in London are a sheer reminder of fact that global terrorism is not waning, rather augmenting day by day. Nobody and no place are safe from the heinous act of terrorism and mass killing. The terrorists are everywhere in one garb or the other. While we express our deepest condolences to the victims' families and show solidarity with the Londoners, we must also do every bit in our individual capacity to socially defeat the forces of terror. We can never let them play with the overwhelming Muslim sentiments against western policies in Iraq or elsewhere.

We must make sure that they have no voice at all in mainstream Muslim belief. The time has been very crucial for Muslims since 9/11 attacks. Since then, the criticisms, condemnations against terrorism and a war on terror could not, unfortunately, deflect or even slightly weaken the forces of terror.

AFM Mohiuddin Lalmatia, Dhaka