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Last Updated:
08/07/2005
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London bomb
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It has now happened in London. What everyone thought was a matter of not if, but when occurred on July 7 2005 and now following the worst incident of terrorist activity in the UK we now live on and we also start asking questions.
Londoners coped well with what has been the worst terrorist incident the UK has ever experienced - over 35 dead and hundreds injured as a result of bombs on the London underground and a bus. After initial shock, calm order was quickly restored.
Maybe having seen bombings like this in Israel, Madrid and Bali, Londoners knew what to expect?
Incidents like these don't discriminate. All human beings, whether Jewish or Sikh, Muslim or Christian are targets. As a city that celebrates cultural diversity, Londoners have been united in condemning what has happened. At hospitals across the capital, Muslim doctors and medical staff worked with others to help the wounded and try to save those who were dying.
Members of the Jewish community volunteered their time to unite with other Londoners to offer support. On a day like July 7 2005, it didn't matter your background. It didn't matter what colour your skin was or your religion, what mattered was Londoners commitment to come together and not let those who caused the bombings feel as if they have won anything.
Throughout the day, it started to become obvious that this had all the hallmarks of a well orchestrated plan. It appears to have been devised by an al-Qaeda offshoot and there have been suggestions that the terrorists for this have not been imported into the UK but were homegrown.
Mainstream Muslim leaders have distanced themselves away from those who would celebrate July 7 in the name of Islam, they have pointed out quite rightly that those who have died or been injured were Muslim as much as any other group.
The biggest worry is if this was homegrown terrorists, how are they getting the knowledge and skills to execute these deadly plans? And worryingly for Britain, how come these people are freely able to move around and get their training?
In the last few months, the Government has lowered the threat of terrorist attack. But something like this must have taken months of planning and organising.
Questions will need to be raised with the British authorities. Having one bomb go off in one location is terrible, but multiple bombs across locations? Where was the security that the British Government promised its people?
Londoners are resilient people, but following mourning of those who died, we will need the Government to answer some basic questions. How did it happen and what steps will be taken to limit such an event from happening again?
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