July 14, 2005
Awesome - London, Midday 14th July 2005
Awesome is not a word I use much; it is far more common in the US than the UK (tho' definitely becoming part of British vocabulary) and I generally don't use it. Today, however, I was struck with awe.
I was not working today, so I went into the centre of London.
The clock struck twelve midday and the city went quiet; then it went silent. Alarms were stifled, sirens were silenced. Cars, taxis, lorries and motorcycles drew to a halt. People stopped what they were doing, moved outside and stood on the pavements.
There was precious little movement as millions of Londoners, office workers and tourists alike contemplated the events a week ago today. Fifty two (so far) people were murdered in four separate bomb attacks.
We can only assume that the four misguided individuals who exploded themselves and the people around them believed that what they did was good. It was not. It was savage and unholy, no matter what religion you hold to be true, London witnessed an act of pure evil last week.
I have been criticised by a lot of friends for not maintaining this weblog. It took London to be silenced to give me the jolt I required.
London was not silenced out of fear today. London was silenced out of respect for what happened to the poor people, be they Muslim, Jew, Christian, Atheist or whatever, who were murdered last week. It could have been any of us. The victims were, for the most part, on their way to work; they were all getting on with their lives.
London has not been enveloped with fear since the attacks. I went to work the next day, travelling through one of the stations that suffered an explosion and so did millions of other people.
The backlash against Muslims has so far been limited and given that they are so important to British life and the UK economy as a whole, I imagine it will not be great if there is one. If it is then last week's events will be truly tragic.
London was magnificent today. I am proud to be a Londoner. I am not afraid.
/Dom
