Sparks start fires, and fires will burn

On May 23rd I posted about the horrific events that took place in Woolwich. The brutal murder of an innocent soldier was met with plain disgust and condemnation from most but some, a vocal minority, were always going to take it too far and as is made clear in my earlier post it didn't take long for them to do so.

But the violent and unjust retaliation for the crimes in Woolwich continue. Last night a community centre in North London was burnt to the ground, a community centre owned and managed by an Islamic Somali community group. On the side of the wreckage the letters E D L were found. The graffiti was not there before the fire. The English Defence League (EDL) has denied any knowledge or collusion of the attack but that is not to say that none of their members or sympathisers are responsible.

Marches, protests and violence by the EDL and affiliates have not been limited to London. But it seems that away from the Capital the cause lacks meaning or voice. In York, a large EDL march on a Mosque concluded when the Islamic Community Leaders invited the protesters in for a cup of tea. After spending an evening drinking tea and playing football it is said that both sides agreed to peacefully coexist and parted amiable company. Meanwhile in Exeter, a rally organised by the EDL at a local war memorial in memory of the murdered Lee Rigby attracted the grand total of naught attendees, indeed the organisers of the event did not even turn up.

These examples give us, as human beings, hope. Hope for a peaceful coexistence with those who may be a different colour, or may believe different things, or be from a different place to ourselves. We can hope that those who are attacked by violent, racist fools do not retaliate. We can hope that they seek justice through the proper legal channels. We can hope that things will get better and that Terror and Violence will always loose, as they will, so long as us right-minded are in the majority.