Thursday, July 07, 2005
Terrorism in London
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Britain has launched an intense search for those responsible for a series of four coordinated bombings Thursday in London's transport system that killed at least 37 people and wounded 700. click the link above for moreMy prayers go out to all those affected by this horrible act. Already Muslim extremist groups have claimed responsibility. I appreciate Prime Minister Blair's words about this.
"It's reasonably clear there have been a series of terrorist attacks in London," Blair said. "There are obviously casualties, both people that have died and people that are seriously injured."
Blair said it was "also reasonably clear" that the attacks were timed to coincide with the opening of the G8 summit.
"It's particularly barbaric that this has happened on a day when people are meeting to try to help the problems of poverty in Africa and the long-term problems with the environment," he said.
Blair also stressed that the bombers, while most likely Muslim extremists, did not reflect the views of most Muslims.
"We know that these people act in the name of Islam, but we also know that the vast and overwhelming majority of Muslims here and abroad are decent, law abiding people who abhor the act of terrorism every bit as much as we do," he said.
I also for once agree with President Bush's reaction as well. "We will not yield to these people, will not yield to the terrorists," he said in a short statement after Blair departed. "We will find them, we will bring them to justice, and at the same time we will spread an ideology of hope and compassion that will overwhelm their ideology of hate." It's nice to hear our president talking more in terms of hope and compassion than with the tired old buzzwords of "freedom" and "security".
Let's all pray that these acts will indeed lead to true compassion and reconciliation among peoples, rather than to more hatred, more fear, and more violence from both sides.
