The New Zealand mosque attacks
The horrific terrorist attacks in New Zealand, in which at least 49 Muslims have been murdered after being gunned down at two Christchurch mosques, are appalling and frightening.
One gunman, said to be an Australian who has been charged with murder, is reported to have written a manifesto ranting about “white genocide”, quoting Dylan Thomas and associating himself with recent white racist murderers, and declaring his aim to “create an atmosphere of fear” and to “incite violence” against Muslims.
New Zealand police also reportedly defused “a number of IEDs (explosive devices) attached to vehicles”. Clearly, the scale and precise nature of what happened are still unclear.
Once again, the ease with which such people can obtain weapons and carry out such attacks is shocking and alarming.
Some of us have been warning for years of a lethal spiral of violence and social and cultural breakdown that will develop in a western world that is fragmenting into warring groups, victimising the innocent of whatever background. This latest attack is further terrifying evidence of this pattern. There are deeply worrying signs that, while Islamist terrorism remains an acute concern, white racist attacks are on the increase.
All decent people, of whatever faith, culture or creed, must unequivocally denounce such atrocities as the Christchurch mosque attacks and all other acts of violence against the innocent. We must end our culture of selective impunity and excuses for evil. Time to form an axis of truth-telling and decency against all fanaticism wherever it is found.
