This year marks the tenth anniversary of the horrendous attack on humanity: the 7/7 attacks which took place in London. The date not only brings back many memories, but it also reminds us of how Britain had changed, and so did its perception on the Muslim community.
Ten years on from the deadly bomb attacks that took place on the London underground and on one bus in Tavistock Square, on 7th July 2005, London has evolved as a city, refusing to let such attacks deter the spirit of its people as they forge ahead in life. The bombings took 52 lives and injured more than 700 people. The bomb attacks not only had a great impact on those who were the victims, but also on the passersby who had seen the aftermath with their own eyes, causing them to be traumatised at what they had seen. Many family members of the victims can still clearly recall the ordeal they had experienced when they heard of the attacks and how hopeless they had felt during that phase.
The 52 innocent souls who lost their lives in the attacks ten years ago included Mala Trivedi, a radiographer; Neetu Jain, a computer programmer; Shyanuja Parathasangary, a Royal Mail workerand Shahara Islam, a bank cashier.
What came as a shock to everyone was the fact that the four suicide bombers were the first and major of "home-grown" terrorists.
Memorials were held at St Paul's cathedral for those who lost their lives in the bombings, as well as in Hyde park, where a wealth-laying ceremony took place as people gathered by the steel pillars. The 52 steel pillars represented each of the 7/7 deceased victims.
As much as Britain may be moving forward, it would not be farfetched to claim that many Britons fear that something on the scales of the 7/7 bombings may take place again. Most recently, the terrifying Tunisia shooting incident killed 38, mainly were British tourists who were on holiday. People are constantly living in fear, not knowing when a normal commute could end up becoming their last day on earth.
Remembering the attacks, Labour MP Sadiq Khan said, “My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends who lost loved ones on that tragic morning ten years ago. We should never forget what happened. The aim of the attackers was to divide London – it was to create panic, fear and mistrust between communities. But they failed. They failed because they underestimated the values and strength of Londoners and the city’s spirit of togetherness. As we pause to remember those who lost their lives and were injured that day, we should also reflect on the resilience of a city whose different communities stood together, united, in defiance of the terrorists.”
Although it may seem as though Londoners have not let the attacks divide them, it would be foolish to dismiss the fact that many communities feel alienated or more targeted post 7/7. After the attacks, many Muslims have had to suffer immensely in the past 10 years due to the bloodily attacks by four coward suicide bombers. Many sections of the media and society were quick to lament the whole faith with the same brush, blaming them all to be extremists, forgetting the contribution of Muslims in the UK.
Mohammed Shafiq, the Chief Executive of the Ramadhan Foundation comments on the attacks and how the terrorists went against the principals of Islam. “Today ten years on from the 7/7 terrorist attacks we remember all those killed and injured and their loved ones. They were killed by evil men who were driven by hate and a poisonous ideology, which has distorted Islamic teachings. British Muslims stood with the victims on that day and do so again today; we reject this terrorism and ideology and commit ourselves to work with all to protect the safety and security of our country and fellow citizens. The terrorists were not acting in the name of Islam, their crimes are an affront against our peaceful religion and Muslim scholars from around the globe have rejected this ideology.”
Shafiq remembers the day of the attacks. “On that day as I stood on the streets of London after those attacks worried about what the future will hold, we saw the best of London, people of all faiths coming together in unity to send a defiant message to the terrorists that you may wish to divide our communities but you will fail and they did indeed fail.”
The Ramadhan Foundation was set up in August 2005, a month after the deadly bombings. It is a leading Muslim organisation in the UK that is working for peaceful co-existence and dialogue for all communities.
Mohammed Shafiq strives to continue to devote himself in serving humanity, amidst the challenges that he may face. He mentioned, “Today as we confront ISIS and their supporters, we reaffirm our commitment to that same unity and purpose... For as long as the threat remains, our duty remains to stand united against terrorism and take them on; we have rejected their violence and stand with the victims of terrorism and their families.”
However, he understands that there is still a long way to go and a lot of work involved, as many young people are being influenced and radicalised into becoming extremists. “Sadly, we still have more work to do. There are too many young people being groomed by ISIS online and in recent days more families choosing to put their own and their children’s safety at risk by travelling to Syria. We need to engage young people, give them a voice and hear what it is that drives them to carry out this violence."
Furthermore, on the tenth anniversary of the attacks, the British Muslim Youth & Faith Matters will be launching the National Youth Consultation on Extremism. They will review and assess what actually draws young people online to possibly join groups, such as ISIS.
The Chief Executive of Faith Matters, Fiyaz Mughal OBE said, "This is a real opportunity to assess the push and pulls of what influences young people online and how material may influence behaviour in relation to the way that extremist groups promote their caustic and deadly narratives. This will be led by young people, for young people and needed at a time when so many people are confused as to what is driving so many young people to the nihilism of extremist groups. More than ever, we all need answers.”
As everyone gets together to pay their respects to the victims of the attacks, we should all take a moment to think about the other global barbarities which take place on a daily basis. We should also not be quick to blame a certain part of society or a particular community; yet, we should not neglect any signs of radicalisation. The earlier we detect it, the faster we may get to the root of the problem. There is a long way to go until the society can reach that state of harmony again and post such attacks, one may believe that it could be near to impossible for things to go back to how it once used to be.
