Disconnect

Now begins the human interest stories, the reporters' tales of young British men who just do not seem to be the sort to blow up airplanes and murder thousands. Not unlike looking at a photo of Ted Bundy and commenting on how very normal and ordinary he seemed. It would be so much easier if the average terrorist were a turban-wearing, rabid foaming at the mouth madman, but the enemy within does not stand out from the crowd.

Mr. Imliaz Qadir was interviewed in London in an Islamic community center. He knew three of the terrorists well, since infancy he claimed, and he can't believe what the police are saying can be true.

Good boys, going to school, going to mosque, but not crazy men. No running up and down the streets screaming out, nothing of that sort. Born and raised in England. Well, no, they did not wear western dress so much. Born and raised in England. Dressing like they're in Pakistan. So it must all be a set-up, in Mr. Qadir's mind. He doesn't believe a word of the so called allegations.

Reporter Ruadhan Mac Cormaic stood outside of a mosque on Queen's Road yesterday, observing the local constabulary guarding the gates to protect the worshippers from retribution. The terrorists, those good Muslims, were known to attend this particular venue, and the odds of some folks taking matters into their own hands was deemed sufficient to warrant police protection. One of the police officers was Asian, someone who looked like the Muslims entering the house of worship. And what was the response of the protectorate?

You are a Muslim. You should be ashamed of yourself. You are a bad Muslim.

Obvious now what constitutes good and bad in this particular community. When the notion of good and bad is so grotesquely skewed, is it any wonder, then, that it could give rise to mass murderers?