London Calling

“London calling to the faraway towns
Now war is declared and battle come down.” (Strummer/Jones)

By Faith J. H. McDonnell (@Cuchulain09)

Another young soldier lost his life last week — in part because his country denies the threat he faced. On Tuesday, May 21, Lee Rigby, a 25 year-old machinegunner and drummer in the 2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, was butchered in broad daylight by two Islamists in the southeast of London. Rigby died in jihad, Islamic “holy” war now transferred to Woolwich. Like the victims of Ft. Hood “workplace violence” jihadist Major Nidal Hassan, Rigby should be honored for dying in battle. But the media and political elites are wedged as deeply in denial in the United Kingdom as they are in the United States.

In case you have only read the mainstream media reports about the murder, here is some suggested reading. Not only do these articles provide the politically-incorrect facts that much of the mainstream media omits, some also explicate the various forms of denial, appeasement, and justification that you will find in the typical media story.

First, this piece by Mark Steyn, is a must read. Steyn says of the ” large crowd of Londoners” that either witnessed the jihadist attack or its aftermath, “Consider how that will play when these guys’ jihadist snuff video is being hawked around the bazaars of the Muslim world. Behold the infidels, content to be bystanders in their own fate.”

Steyn says that after the attack, just as in the case of the Boston Marathon, “the politico-media class immediately lapsed into the pneumatic multiculti Tourette’s that seems to be a chronic side-effect of excess diversity-celebrating: No Islam to see here, nothing to do with Islam, all these body parts in the street are a deplorable misinterpretation of Islam.” One example of this pathetic, offensive denial of reality was the BBC’s Nick Robinson, who “accidentally described the men as being ‘of Muslim appearance,’ but quickly walked it back lest impressionable types get the idea that there’s anything ‘of Muslim appearance’ about a guy waving a machete and saying ‘Allahu Akbar.'” Read it all, and encourage others to read it, as well.

Another great source of information is Front Page Magazine. (IRD President, Mark Tooley, and I are both FPM columnists.)  FPM columnist Bruce Bawer writes of “The London Horror and Jihad Denial.” He provides quotes that “dance around that uncomfortable core truth” by Prime Minister David Cameron, the Guardian, former London mayor “Red” Ken Livingston, and others.

FPM columnist Daniel Greenfield reports how the mainstream media censored the killers’ use of the Koran to justify the butchery. Greenfield links to Pamela Geller’s blog, Atlas Shrugged, which provides more details. Geller, in turn, links to the blog of Anglican theologian and author Rev. Dr. Mark Durie, for the Koranic background for the killers.

Durie says, “While some said the killers were crazed, the contrary seems to be the case.  They appear to have been acting in accordance with a theologically determined logic  (emphasis added) which can be understood on the basis of Islamic teachings.  In the midst of perpetrating this carnage, they found time, calmly and clearly, to explain their motivations on camera.” Durie then explains the various verses from the Koran and other Islamic texts, censored by the media, that the killer quoted.

In summary, says Durie, ‘This slaughter on the streets of Woolwich has all the hallmarks of a theologically motivated attack, and keys to understand it can be found in the Qur’an and the teachings of Muhammad.” He adds that, whether “the views adopted by the killers are ‘legitimate’ interpretations of the Koran and Muhammad’s teachings may be disputed.  What cannot be disputed is the source where they found their inspiration.”

A post on May 23 by Greenfield reveals that the given name of one of the beheaders is Michael Adebolajo. Adebolajo, 28, was born to a Nigerian Christian family, but converted to Islam. Not surprisingly, Adebolajo has been connected to London imam, Anjem Choudary, who lives on the British dole while working for the overthrow of the British government. Greenfield explains that “Adebolajo was a member of Choudary’s Al Muhajiroun, an Islamist group founded in Saudi Arabia to impose Islamic law (emphasis added),” whose members have been linked to terrorism before. The other suspect is Michael Adebowale, 22 years old. He also comes from a Nigerian Christian background.

Just as the American media interview unindicted terrorism co-conspirators the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) for the “moderate” view, the British media interviewed Choudary. Greenfield quotes the radical imam saying that the beheader “was just a completely normal guy” who was “interested in Islam, in memorizing the Koran.” Responds Greenfield, “And we all saw some Koranic memorization skills on the video yesterday. Maybe it might be time to wake up and realize that being interested in Islam and memorizing the Koran are not completely normal.”

Another radical imam, Omar Bakri Mohammed, banned from Britain, inspired the killers. According to The Independent, quoted by Greenfield in a story on May 24, Bakri said he could see from the video that [the suspect] was being “very courageous.” Says Greenfield, “Nothing is more courageous and heroic than two men running down one man in a car and then cutting him up while screaming praises to Allah.”

Greenfield provides a revealing quote from Bakri, “We don’t make a distinction between civilians and non-civilians, innocents and non-innocents,” said Bakri. “Only between Muslims and unbelievers. And the life of an unbeliever has no value. It has no sanctity.”

After the attack, British authorities ordered that soldiers not wear their uniforms in public. Greenfield reported that the Ministry of Defence assured that this was just a temporary measure. But, said The Telegraph on May 23, “Defiant soldiers and their families have taken to social media to post pictures of themselves in uniform following offiicial guidance not to venture off-base in their fatigues in wake of the Woolwich machete attack.”

Another show of defiance was the overwhelming support offered to “Help for Heros.” Murdered soldier, Lee Rigby, had been wearing a hoodie from that charity that provides support for wounded Iraq and Afghanistan vets. The charity’s website crashed hours after the connection was made, according to a Telegraph news story. Twitter was full of stories such as this one, “”Just brought a Help for Heroes Tee Shirt to wear in memory of the soldier murdered in Woolwich. Anyone out there care to join me?”

Still another show of defiance in the face of jihad was that of the women now known as the “Woolwich Angels.” While men, other women, and the unarmed police stayed back, these three women put their compassion for the dying soldier ahead of their own safety. First to be identified was Cub Scout Leader Ingrid Loyau-Kennett, 48. Loyau-Kennett jumped off a bus to confront the two murderers and keep their attention on herself and away from other potential victims. A story in the Mirror said that when asked if she was scared, ‘Ingrid said: “No – better me than a child.”

The other two Woolwich Angels were mother and daughter, Amanda Donnelly, 44, and Gemini Donnelly-Martin, 20, who asked the killers to let them pass. They stayed with Drummer Rigby as he died in the street. Says the Gospel Herald, “Mrs Donnelly, who is a devout Christian, knelt next to the soldier and prayed for him as the two alleged assailants continued to walk around carrying their knives. She said she did this as she would do it for her own son.” Catholic Online adds, “Both women shielded Drummer Lee Rigby from further desecration by his savage attackers. Amanda insisted she be allowed to pray for the dead man even when confronted by one of the killers. Cradling Rigby gently, Amanda seemed unfazed by his horrific wounds.”

Keep searching for more news on the Woolwich jihad, if you are interested in finding out the truth. Watch for how the deniers will continue to deny the truth about this attack. . . and the next one, and the one after that.