Terrorism may have caused the Southport murders, but it does not change the riots
Embedded Files
Theodore Smith
30/10/24
The revelation that last summer’s horrifying Southport murders were the result of a suspected terrorist act, has come as a shock to many. For months, the public was reassured that these tragic events bore no connection to religious extremism, alas, the spectres of the Manchester bombings still loom over the UK.
At the heart of the matter lies the apparent radicalisation of a second-generation immigrant from non-religious parents, a transformation for which the reasons may remain unknown. The truth is that it is rarely understood why someone chooses a path of violence, but no such uncertainty surrounds the July riots. The factors that fuelled the violence and division that erupted that month are clear: a toxic mix of racism, xenophobia, and misinformation, amplified by those in power who stood to gain from the unrest.
In the coming days, the justification of this violence will begin. It was not a well-orchestrated escalation of racial hatred and bigotry, but a spontaneous outpouring of frustration over cultural grievances; perhaps Farage like his American counterpart will call it 'a day of love'.
Calls for the removal of the ECHR and religious freedoms will grow though these populist policies do not address any existing obstacles to current deportation programs. The change that needs to be created fundamentally has to start on a granular level of education.
Repair takes time, those drawn by the far right must begin to understand the absence of such an easy alternative. After all a 14 year political dynasty didn't radically alter immigration, so why would the same policy work now. A re-evaluation of multiculturalism may be warranted, but reinventing these riots certainly is not.
Google Sites
Report abuse