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Drum: MAIL
Letters to
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Letter of the Month
Giving every life equal worth
Imagine a ‘terrorist’, unhappy with local, national and
global events, at odds with prevalent ideologies, intent
on being heard, bringing about change, willing to use
himself as the weapon to do so. Now imagine he is a
non-Muslim.
DRUM’s contribution to the debates of Islamophobia was
perfectly timed, yet too late. Our thoughts are already
imbued with connections none of us would like to admit,
but which we must face.
Lets not pretend we are surprised by the events of July
7th. Appalled, yes, surprised, no. If the tools adopted to
bring about change around the globe are ones of violence, why are we shocked when those tools are
bought home?
One innocent life taken is one life too much irrespective of age, gender, race or faith. But lets give each
and every life equal worth. Only then can we begin to express disgust when others do not do the
same. Until then, true introspection is in order.
The root causes of why ‘home-grown’ ‘clean-skins’ would want to (suicide?) bomb fellow citizens run
deep. Yet many are content to simplify and demonise. In Question Time on 14th July Frank Field
argued Islamic terrorists just want to ‘wipe us out’. This understanding is nowhere near sophisticated
enough. We cannot get away from the reality that the London bombings, 9/11, Madrid and Bali, have
deep seated political causes. It’s time to bring these causes, and the underlying truths into the open,
no matter how distasteful.
Open and widespread debate that does not brush the ugliness of all sides under the carpet is needed,
tackling issues such as power and definitions of terrorism, equality and the price of human life, and
understandings of terms such as ‘civilisation’. Yours is the perfect forum for these debates to rage.
Here’s hoping DRUM can help us enter an age of enlightened debate instead of reactionary rhetoric.
Dr Bano Muryuja, Blackburn