Target London

Hello friends,

I was out at the City Center Mall from 10am onwards, when one of my uncle called me and started talking to me frantically, "Mansur??! How is your brother? His wife, and his kid? How are they?" I was so surprised. So shocked! Uncle what happened? "Mansur! There have been major blasts in London, please tell me how your brother are?" I couldn't register the shock; the idea London had been bombed! London, the city where I have been making summer trips practically since I was a little boy. London, where most of my mom's family, and my cousins from my mom's side live. London, where my brother, his wife and my niece live.

Why?

I frantically sent out text messages to my brother and his wife, since they work in different places. I did not hear from them for a short while. I got another message from a friend, who had received a text message from her friend in London. My heart sank. The message read: There are people running around with half a face. Many many injuries. It's mad. Nobody can move in the city. No way of getting home. Phones not working. Panic." I was confused, and suddenly I was scared for everyone I knew in London, which includes some of the bloggers I know based in London.

My mom called. Thankfully everyone were all right. Soon after, I received messages from my sister in law, saying, "we are all fine." I was so relieved. I just watched an hour of television coverage of the incidents. Blair has declared Al-Qaida the culprits. It could be anyone at this stage. Maybe it is related to the G8 Summit taking place. Maybe it is something related to London winning the Olympic bid. It could be anything at this stage.

However some evidences point out to Al-Qaida:

A group calling itself ``The Secret Organization of al-Qaida in Europe'' posted a claim of responsibility, saying the blasts were in retaliation for Britain's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The statement also threatened attacks in Italy and Denmark, both of which have troops in Iraq. It was published on a Web site popular with Islamic militants, and the text was republished on Elaph, a secular Arabic-language news Web site, and Berlin's Der Spiegel magazine. This is clearly an al-Qaida style attack. It was well-coordinated, it was timed for a political event and it was a multiple attack on a transportation system at rush hour,'' said Lawrence Freedman, professor of war studies at King's College in London.

The mayor of London, Ken Livingstone made a statement, and I don't think I could agree with him more:

"I want to say one thing: This was not a terrorist attack against the mighty or the powerful, it is not aimed at presidents or prime ministers, it was aimed at ordinary working-class Londoners. That isn't an ideology, it isn't even a perverted faith, it's mass murder. We know what the objective is. They seek to divide London. Black and white, Muslim and Christian, Hindus and Jews, young and old. It was an "indiscriminate attempt to slaughter irrespective of any considerations for age, class, religion -- whatever."

At the end of day, I think we all have to remember God during times like these. We have to tell ourselves and others that God is in control of the world situation. Nothing here happens without God's knowledge. We have to take peace in knowing the God is running the world. He is in charge. He is the All-Knowing and that there must be a purpose, according to God, regarding these events. If we don't have faith in God, then we can only hope, barely hope, to live in a world that would run amok with chaos and anarchy, thereby creating people who would fail one another with loss of compassion, peace, justice and love.

With much well wishes for people affected in all ways with these events,

Mansur