I'm going to weigh in here with my own personal opinion. It might upset and offend some Americans, which isn't my intention, but I feel that some things need to be said even if they're difficult to accept.
On the day of 9/11 I started in my new job as the director of a new young people's theatre in Warsaw, Poland. I clearly remember that day. I had an almost full auditorium of young people hoping to become actors in this new theatre.
Throughout Warsaw theatres were closed as a mark of respect for the victims. It was suggested to me that we also close as a mark of respect to the victims.
I expressed my condolences for the victims but... insisted that everything go ahead as planned to show solidarity with Americans. My question at the time was 'I'm not afraid of the terrorists, are you?'
I have been unequivocally against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have achieved nothing but death and further conflict. I'm sorry to say but peace in the Middle East is a much harder objective without Saddam Hussein than it would have been if he was still alive today. I have no illusions here, Saddam Hussein was a tyrant. It goes with the territory when you have three separate ethnic factions determined to kill one another, you cannot be soft and assume that these people will gladly embrace democracy. But where is the hard evidence of all the supposed atrocities he committed, and the genocide? Why did this not come out during his trial? Where is the hard evidence that proves beyond all reasonable doubt that he committed them?
Or is it like the stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction?
Today I'm working to get political intervention to bring Shaker Aamer back home here in Battersea South West London and a reunion with his wife and four children, including his youngest son Faris, a son he has never met, who is now a teenager.
Back in 2002 Shaker was an Islamic charity worker working against the Taliban in Afghanistan. He was picked up by US forces in the nick of time before the Taliban got to him. He thought he was saved. Wrong. He was arrested and sent to Guantanamo Bay. He has since been twice declared innocent and cleared for release by Washington, and yet he remains held in Guantanamo Bay. His health is failing, he is on hunger strike, and he has been beaten and tortured by his captives.
Here in Battersea this is an issue with unites all politicians on both parties. Our local Conservative MP has even raised the matter in Parliament and is doing what she can to put pressure on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to intervene. I have been trying, unsuccessfully for a number of years, to get the attention of a US Congressman or senator and get them involved in Shaker's release.
Again I'm not trying to be anti-American. At the time of the Iraq invasion I was contracted to do translation work for the Polish Ministry of Defence and security services. I made friends in the US military, I hold the US military in high regard, and because of Iraq I lost friends who were killed in action.
I feel this is a question of empathy more than anything else. Some of you are close to your parents. Wouldn't you want your father to be released if he was held without charge and deemed to be innocent? Some of you are close to your children. Aren't your children among the most important people in your lives? Why is it different just because someone isn't American? Why is it different just because someone is a Muslim?
But it's the same views and opinions which sparked the outrage over the cover of the Rolling Stone magazine as what is keeping Guantanamo Bay in existence and keeping Muslim fathers like Shaker away from their families.
I'm writing this post two weeks after the anniversary of the 7/7 bombings in London. i clearly remember two Sundays ago, it was just another pleasant sunny Sunday afternoon here in London.
We have moved on. Yesterday I was at a special 'hustings' meeting of the local Labour party organized to select the next Labour candidate for the next General election. There were four candidates, one of whom served in the Army and who saw action in Afghanistan. All were speaking about the mistakes of the last Labour government, and among the mistakes were the military action in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But we have moved on, and there are some benefits to moving on. September the 11th comes up once a year every year. Each time it comes around with a big song and dance over the atrocity (and I don't think there's another suitable word for what happened) you send out a very clear message to those responsible that they hurt you, they affected you, that there was some effect and consequences to their actions.
This is exactly what the terrorists want and need. They really do want you to be hurt, they want you to be afraid, they want you to be focussed on the issues which they have identified as their cause. To them it's justification to continue the conflict. It's the attention they need to continue the struggles, recruit more people and plan more attacks.
It's also important to remember that the cultural isolation enjoyed by Americans no longer exists today, thanks to the Internet. 9/11 had a greater effect because of that isolation but you are no longer cocooned between two of the largest oceans in the world with Canada to the north and Mexico to the south.
Today the whole wide world gets to see the beauty and the ugliness found in American society, we see the conservatism and the freakish aspects. We know that in some places churchgoers collect rattlesnakes to dance with, we notice whenever someone innocent is put to death by lethal injection, and some of us are well aware that while President Obama talks big on the economy and energy saving its his administration who are sending out drones which kill Pakistani children.
I feel that there is a strong argument for cultural changes in the States and my own personal opinion is that there needs to be much less violence and hatred and much more empathy and solidarity among Americans. Your biggest enemies aren't extremist Islamic fundamentalists nor is it Iran or Syria, but the social and economic inequality found in your cities and the irresponsible capitalism which is depriving ordinary Americans of their livelihoods and homes.
And I hope I'm not seen as anti-American for pointing this out.
