As one of the 8.5 million people living in a city with a high terror alert, it would be easy to be consumed with fear of being at risk when I go out. But, I am not scared, and I refuse to be frightened by the horrific acts of violence from an evil minority group that does1 not represent any religion or belief.
London currently is under an increased threat of a terrorist attack, as this has been its position for the last few years. With major airports close by, famous historical landmarks and a tourist industry of at least 17 million visitors last year, it is obvious to see why London is on the hit list. However, if we thought about this the whole time, it would be easy to allow ISIS and other terrorist groups to take over everyday life.
London terrorist attacks 7/7
We only hear about the failings in security when an attack actually happens, and tragically, lives are lost. However, the secret services around the world prevent the majority of planned terrorist attacks, as it was announced last year that the British Intelligence Service had prevented seven planned attacks in six months – a pretty respectable record. Imagine how many lives were saved then. Knowing that some of the best intelligence services are working around the clock to keep us safe makes me happy to use public transportation or go to football matches with ease. Of course, the sad part is that not every attack can be prevented, and there will be times where terrorists do exactly what they want to do: spread terror.
Last week, it was also saddening to see some people's reactions to the terrorist attacks that so-called Islamic state has taken responsibility for in Brussels, where the "Muslim Hatred" hashtag appeared and people like the account below became so narrow minded. It is extremely dangerous to start thinking that this minority group represents a generally very peaceful religion. By thinking in this way, we are being brain-washed into thinking the way extremist groups want the world to think. It is more important now than ever before that we are aware that this tiny minority does not represent the Muslim religion, and we should not jump to conclusions about an individual due to sickening actions by a tiny group of people.
My father works as a London taxi driver, so he works in the city and around busy stations, airports and buildings every day. I asked him how he felt about the the recent attacks and how the threat that London and the rest of the world faces has changed him. His response was rather simple, “You cannot be scared of these people, or live your life differently due to it. You could lose your life crossing the street you live on, so you might as well make the most of it.” For me, that really hit me: Every day, we face dangerous situations that could change our life forever, so to let the cowardly people who consider themselves devout and true Muslims dictate our lives is ridiculous.
When incidents like the one in Brussels do happen, it is vital that we do not let fear and terror overtake our lives and coerce us into acting a certain way. This is the aim of these extremist groups: to destroy cultural and humanitarian values and to place fear in the general public. But we need to show them otherwise – with our love for peace, justice and truth – that living under fear is not really living at all.
