If you were faced with an armed terrorist, what would you do?
Would you attempt to flee the scene or would you walk up to the terrorist and engage him in conversation?
Here in my home city of London, this week two Muslim fundamentalists hacked to death a soldier in broad daylight as he walked in a street in Woolwich. One remarkable woman, named Ingrid Loyau-Kennet, approached the killers and engaged one in conversation. You can see a short television interview with her here.
Bizarrely, something just like this situation came to my mind as inspiration for a short story which I wrote four years ago. You can read “A Moment In Time” here.
May 27th, 2013 at 10:14 am
Keep Calm and Carry On? Sorry, but I find it difficult to see that as a terrorist act, more of an African act. Here though, I’d rather think they would’ve received back that exact justice with the only addition, probably a petrol doused tyre. This is a common occurence, especially in our “townships”.
May 27th, 2013 at 11:01 am
How is it an African act, Gareth?
Because the assailants were of Nigerian descendency? But they were British born.
Because this act reminds you of acts in South Africa? But the declared motive for the London murder was an islamic fundamentalist perspective on British foreign policy.
May 27th, 2013 at 2:08 pm
Because it reminds me of Africa, not just South Africa. Hacking people to death happens in most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa whether it’s vengence or justice.
One of the guys was Nigerian born and the British born perp would naturally have had links to Nigeria (said friend), friends/parents etc. He had been to Kenya and would’ve probably seen this type of justice and heard about it since he was small, all expat parents retell stories of “home” to their kids.
The SELF declared motive was vengence against British foreign policy, but I would hardly call that “terrorism”, more of a crime perpetrated by a mentally disturbed individuals. Sure, if it becomes a common occurence, then I’ll change my stance, so I guess only time will tell.
Either way and more to the point of your article, having seen the footage last Thursday, the way Ms. Loyau-Kennet approached the perps just made me wonder (as obviously it did you), is this the British stereotype of “stay calm and civil in all circumstances” or plain naivity of what real life is, and when I say real life, I mean the fear/risk of death that most people experiance in life on a daily basis that has been just about erradicated living in a relatively safe urban environment.
A natural example, when wolves where introduced to Yosemite National Park, the deer never ran from them, the stood by until they were attacked, they had to learn the wolf was their enemy.