Woolwich beheading

Some fairly crazed people have beheaded a British soldier in Woolwich.

They have done so in the name of Islam, and the umma (the world wide community of Muslims).

The vast majority of Muslims utterly reject that which has been done.

The man who was killed had a 'help for heroes' T shirt on. 'help for heroes' is a charity that raises money for British soldiers, often those injured in action.

To be clear, I do not consider British soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan heroes. They are not my heroes and they are not fighting on my behalf.

Neither do I think joining the British army, or wearing a 'help for heroes' T shirt is a crime. So far as I can tell, this guy was picked a random and executed because of his association with the British army.

While it is beyond dispute that reprehensible acts have been committed by some British soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, this was not in general their purpose. It may be the purpose of some individuals in the British Army. It was the purpose of the guys who committed the crime in Woolwich.

Despite a news blackout by UK media, there has been a response by English neo Fascists, the English Defence League (EDL). They have been chanting nationalistic bullshit in Woolwich square. There has also been some limited violence.

All this is a bit alarming. A great shame.

As always I am struck by the similarities between the guys cutting the head off a soldier, and the neo fascists who respond. Most ordinary people have more in common with each other than either of these two groups.

What is alarming is the growing number of ordinary people who fail to realise this. There are increasing numbers of people who think that all British soldiers are 'heroes'. Or that Western oppression of Muslims makes all British soldiers legitimate targets. This is all nonsense.

I only hope our government does something about youth unemployment soon.