Paul Rogers, writing on Open Democracy (The threads of war ), makes some valuable points on this day when people are reflecting on the significance of the anniversary of the July 2005 suicide bombings in London. I don't imagine his sentiments would go down well in establishment circles, but he makes some valuable points. "Each month", he writes "the death toll in Iraq is equivalent to twenty London attacks." Any death through violent attack is horrific, and I cannot begin to imagine the emotional legacy for those immediately affected. But magnify that for vast swathes of society, as we might do for Iraq, Afghanistan etc. and the mind boggles to contemplate the hurt and its consequences.
Paul Rogers concludes: "The first anniversary of the London attacks is rightly a time for reflection and sympathy, but the memories of those killed might be much better served if there was at least some awareness at the top of the British government of the connection between its policies and the costs to its own citizens."
Meanwhile, writing in The Guardian, Sadiq Khan writes: "What matters above all is to ensure that Muslim voices and inputs are part of a mainstream and majority debate. ... We need a much deeper engagement between us all if we are to come up with a common analysis and solutions."
