Thoughts on the Woolwich killing

[Fidel_Castronaut]

What are the forum thoughts on the Woolwich killing?

BBC news item

For those who don't know, a man was beheaded in Woolwich, London, UK in what appears to be a religio-political killing by Islamic extremists. One of the killers gave an 'interview' immediately after the killing and the video has been widely distributed (see the link).This has sparked widespread anti-islamic sentiment across the UK resulting in demonstrations by right-wing groups and counter-demonstrations by pro-islamic and human-rights groups. In the meantime, muslims across the UK (especially London) appear to be in fear of reprisals, although none have been reported yet.

For me, I'm sickened both by the killing and the bigotry.

The EDL have attacked some mosques in the area, because, you know, they're such great logical guys.

Overall I'm pretty sickened, both by the event and also by the calls for "send them back to their own country" [they were both British of Nigerian descent...born in the UK and raised here...].

Just highlights the need to have a much larger and wider discourse about integration and engagement between people in British society today. For too long self-imposed and forced segregation has destroyed our inner cities (I'm from London and live in Birmingham, both arguably two of the most segregated cities in the UK in some wards). It's time the UK had a frank and open discussion, to expose the extremism waiting underneath the surface and foster a much more open, free thinking scientific society that doesn't shy away from exposing and criticising beliefs and belief systems, whatever they might be.