While this country continues with its ‘open door’ immigration policy, and fails to register those entering and exiting at will, it’s highly unlikely that we’ll be able to counter threats of this nature. Couple this with our insistence on allowing radicals to preach their poison without fear of prosecution – and our inability to stop the pervasiveness and spread of web sites advocating terrorism as a religious duty – and this ‘cancer within’ can only grow unchecked.
The simplistic nature of these recent attacks is somewhat difficult to counteract. The immediate effects, though, can be devastating, as we see almost on a daily basis in Iraq. Crowds of people are certainly more at risk than at any other time in our history. Previous terror groups, including the IRA, shied away from such tactics as the perpetrators were often involved with the communities where the attacks took place.
Bad Public Relations means little to the current terrorists. Neither does the killing of innocent women and children, be they Muslim, Catholic, Christian or whatever religion or belief. The fact that the family and colleagues of one of the Glasgow terrorists denounced the fact that he could possibly be involved in such an attack – even though he is clearly shown on national television and CCTV – allied to the lack of condemnation from their community typifies how ingrained this issue really is.
Blaming what is happening now on the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan is misguided. The terrorists are determined to bring about the fall of the ‘demonic Western World’, and that is how they justify their actions. If it were not this reason it would be some other. Either way, the ultimate goal appears to be the defeat of democracy and the changing of our way of life to “the ways of Allah”.
Throughout history, religion – and religious fervour – has been the root cause of many flash points, wars and crimes against humanity. Individuals and groups in both the East and West have tortured, mutilated and murdered – ‘in the name of God’ – their own people, and those of other nations.
History has taught us little. Not that it’s studied to any great degree now for fear of upsetting people. If more effort were made to understand man’s failings in the past then the future might not look so trouble-strewn.
Steve Goodwin MBE
General Manager
Noble Security Services (UK)