Comment: London Under Fire (by Christina Opris)

Thursday, July 7th 2005 is a day no Englishman will ever forget. The capital city of Great Britain was hit again. No houses burning as in the Second World War, but the killing of civilians aimed to teach world leaders a lesson - or was that really the goal?

What was in World War II a material destruction has now turned into a massive population attack that leaves our hearts scarred forever. "The events on Thursday were deeply distressing and shocking for all of us who live and work in London. The emotional effects will be felt by victims, bereaved families, friends, rescue workers and health care workers, and the general public."

Television networks, newspapers, and radio channels were all informing and installing a fear that would shake an entire world, not only the attacks' victims and survivors.

"I was devastated by the atrocious bombings that struck London today. These vicious acts have cut us all to the core, for they are an attack on humanity itself." -- Kofi Annan

I was watching the news with shock and questions continuously inundating my mind. Fear… It was the one feeling that was installing itself in my life without my awareness, while I was reflecting on the current situation.

It was five o'clock in the morning when she rushed out into the streets of London with the hopes of getting to work on time to offer her two children the best possible life. Mrs. Wundowa, a 50-year-old woman left her home that morning never to return. The explosion on the No. 30 bus was to steal her away from her husband, Emmanuel Wundowa, a security guard, and her two children. They lived in Chadwell Health, Essex, but she worked as a cleaner at University College of London, where she started work at 5am on the day of the attacks.

"All of a sudden everything went white and we got thrown to the floor and there was smoke and fire outside. It sounded like an impact almost. You could see a sort of electrical fire outside the carriage, on the wall of the tunnel. Everybody had to walk through the train and then jump down onto the track. In the carriage I was in everyone was crying but they quickly took control. No one panicked. We wedged open the doors, you couldn't open the doors. There were no hammers and you couldn't get any air. The front three carriages were where people were injured. People were really good, some people just took control, no one panicked, not in the carriages where we were. I am really worried about one guy I saw who was walking with a hole in the back of his head." -- Joanna Myerson, 29, was traveling from West Hampstead on a Circle Line train at 8:56 from Farringdon to Aldgate.

In the same situation were many other people. Children, parents, grandparents, friends waited with the hope of seeing their loved ones return, but many didn't. Over 50 families awaited the returns of their loved ones in vain: they were gone forever. The four explosions severely injured more than 700 people. Who would have expected a domino effect even in a bombing attack?

Not even from the previous attacks did people realize the danger they were facing. "We know of New York, we know of Madrid, we know of London and the widespread slaughter of innocent people. There have been streams of tears, rivers of blood, innocent blood. Death in the morning, of people going to find their livelihood, death in the noontime on the highways and skyways, death by faceless people who said they are warriors."

Innocent people became objects of expression in the minds of the people who planned this attack. They were chosen as victims to inflict terror in the lives of all people around the world. Where is the spirit of brotherhood in which people should be acting towards one another, as Article 1 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) states? What about "the right to life, liberty and security of person" stated in Article 3 of UDHR? Based on what reasons are people entitled to make others the subject of their horrific manifestations?

"It's absurd, those criminal attacks against innocent people that have nothing to do with the problems that are raised by the terrorists. This criminal act [is] not only against Britain, against the British people, but against all civilised people in the world that do not tolerate these kind of crimes." -- European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso

Monsters; that is what the suicide bombers and the minds behind this attack are now seen as, after having attempted to restage this scene just one week after the disaster took place. Emotions are mixed and people speak of rage, sadness, disappointment and grief, but understanding the concept of brotherhood has become more difficult then ever. Thanks to technical difficulties in the second attempt, a similar disaster did not occur on the 14th of July, but people were deeply shaken.

"It is a shameful terrorist act that doesn't have any relation to religions and human morals. While I am expressing my deep sorrow to you and through you to the British people and families of victims, I confirm to you our deep will to rid the evil of terrorism in any country as it appears." -- Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari

In spite of all this, Londoners are trying to carry on with their lives while morally supporting the survivors of the explosions and mourning their lost ones. Information on how to deal with victims was made available to all in the attempt of helping speed up the process of recovery, but meanwhile other countries are watching with fear and an attempt to learn, from the brave Londoners, how to act in such circumstances while posing questions such as: "What country is next?" and "When is the next attack going to be?"

Is there any connection between the attacks and the war in Iraq? How much longer will civilians be used as a means of attracting the attention of their leaders? Is the real message understood, and if yes, why do attacks continue? Who is next on the black list and how will they be attacked - we've seen it happen in the air on September 11, we've seen it happen on the railway, in Madrid, and now we've seen it underground. Is water the next means of attack? Last, but not least, it gets back to the question people have been trying to get answered for a long time: When will human rights finally be respected, or will they ever be fully acknowledged?

Sources

"Attack on London: the people who died or are missing." Guardian Unlimited. 15 Jul. 2005. 15 Jul. 2005. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/gall/0,8542,1524913,00.html>.

"London blast: survivors' tales." Times Online. 7 Jul. 2005. 30 Jul. 2005. < http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,22989-1684294,00.html>.

"The London bombings (7/7/05 & 21/7/05)." Black History Month. 30 Jul. 2005. <http://www.black-history-month.co.uk/articles/london_bombings.html>.

"London bombings toll rises to 37." BBC News. 7 Jul. 2005. 30 Jul. 2005. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4661059.stm>.

"London terrorist attacks of 7th July 2005." South London and Maudsley NHS Trust.12 Jul. 2005. 30 Jul. 2005. <http://www.slam.nhs.uk/news/detail.aspx?id=63.

"Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)." Amnesty International. 30 Jul. 2005. <http://origin2.amnesty.org/apro/APROweb.nsf/pages/udhr>.

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