My thoughts on Woolwich

Who was not shocked by the horrifying spectacle of an un-armed man being almost beheaded in a London street?  His murderers were two men who appeared to be motivated by a distorted, indeed one might say perverted, version of Islam.  In this version the single individual, in this case a soldier, unarmed, off duty and outside his barracks, can become a legitimate target for an onslaught by a man with a knife and a meat cleaver assisted by an accomplice with a gun.

This victim’s ‘offence’ was to be perceived as a representative of us, the unbelievers, who had invaded Islamic land and taken the lives of followers of Islam.  I use the word ‘us’ since this soldier was held to account for the actions of our Government and therefore we, all of us, are deemed to be participants in these events whether we like it or not. 

Once again John Donne’s words “every man’s death diminishes me” spring to mind.  We all ought to share in this family’s grief, as well as being part, albeit only by our positions as electors and citizens, of their loss. 

The reactions to this event have been predictable.  Neither of the perpetrators is white – both profess Islam – both tried to justify their actions as legitimate on the basis that Islam allows Jihad in response to crimes against the faith.  British involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan are seen as ample justification for this awful tragedy.

A week or so before Lee Rigby’s death, the domestic news was dominated by the conviction of a group of men of Pakistani origin who’s repeated rape and exploitation of vulnerable and under-age girls was, it was said, perfectly justifiable because they were “worthless Kuffirs,” that is to say unbelievers.  This gang’s conviction has prompted 54 other investigations into similar groups dotted around our green and pleasant land.

It would be easy to jump to the conclusion that Islam is the problem and that there is a simple answer.  It would also be easy to blame those who either opened the floodgates for immigration into this country or to those that failed to close them.  I however want to focus on another facet of these two events and I begin by recalling that in my nine years as a solicitor in private practice I was never involved in, nor can I recall being aware of, any criminal case involving rape perpetrated by a woman.  Nor do I recall any murder trial involving violence (as opposed to poisoning) or any case of assault involving grievous or actual bodily harm where the accused was female. 

You will note that I am not here confining myself to Pakistani or other non-white criminals nor am I limiting my observations to alleged followers of Islam.  I will explain my reference to “alleged followers of Islam” later.

My point is all the accused were male and I also observe that their conduct exemplifies at least two frightening characteristics.  Firstly there is an arrogance which manifests itself in actions, socio-pathologically directed against females in the case of the exploitation of those young women.  Secondly, there is the inability of some males to be able to comprehend any point of view other than their own.  This when coupled with a consuming anger and over-inflated ego, is indeed a toxic mixture.  When we ally these ingredients to a cause which offers, whether now or in the future, that to which a recruit thinks he is entitled, completely irrational behaviour is sure to follow.

What is lacking in the male figures who bomb, kill, maim and exploit as exemplified by the cases I have quoted, is the sort of courage and compassion which was shown by the women who confronted Lee Rigby’s killers and tended him as his life came to an end.

This short-fall, this absence of an ability to empathise, does not confine itself to any one creed or colour.  However it is apparent that it exists as a predominately male defect.  This defect emerges unless there is a positive role-model which enables the young male to learn to respect the opposite sex and this requires input from both parents.   Respect for the opposite sex means all members not just those of ‘our’ creed or colour.  This must be the case regardless of what some out-dated thinking concerning male supremacy may mistakenly suggest to the contrary.

It is here that we come to a marked difference between some creeds and others.  In part of his rantings intended to justify the totally inexcusable, Michael Adebolajo referred to the ancient concept of an ‘eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’  He tried to suggest that what he had just done by killing Lee Rigby was justified by the killings carried out by the British forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Some commentators have seized on this Biblical reference to smear Christianity as well as Islam because both have the book of Exodus, from which the text comes, in their religious texts.  Exodus 21 verse 23 does indeed establish a law of reciprocal brutality.  It refers to the taking of a life and embraces injury to eyes, teeth, hands and feet as well as covering wounds, burns and bruises.  In Christianity however Jesus reformed this ancient understanding by telling his followers “do not resist an evil person but turn the other cheek.”  He added “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Jesus explained that whereas he did not wish to abolish the old law, he had come to show humanity how to view things differently.  For Christians therefore there can be absolutely no justification for the sort of killing carried out by Michael Adebolajo.  In any case I note that the killer had indeed adopted a different creed after a Christian upbringing but I daresay that many Muslims would feel far more at home with the teachings of Jesus on this passage rather than the distortions taught to the killer.  He unfortunately had absorbed a hopeless, brutal and unreformed view of Islam from his teachers.  “By their fruit shall you know them.”

It is often speculated that the role of both parents in raising a child is essential wherever possible.  Especially with a male child this must involve learning to value the intuitive and compassionate characteristics that are more associated with a mother alongside the thinking processes and control of aggression that ought to be the input of a father.  A child needs to learn to honour both its father and mother who should provide their child with the safety, support and example needed to grow into a mature, independent, adult life.  Where that does not happen, other influences will invariably step in to fill the void.  The result of this can be life-destroying as it was for those young girls, as well as physically deadly as we now see all too clearly from the scene in Woolwich.