75ZT Community

... and furious.

As some of you know, my department at the defence college is responsible for the academic areas of training for RAF technicians, and engineering officers. We also lecture students from other parts of the world including, at the moment, members of the Royal Saudi Air Force.

So why am I both disgusted and furious? Well, I would stand in support of British service personnel until hell freezes over but, I am also not naive when it comes to acknowledging the fact that they are not angels. I served in the RAF myself for well over twenty years and I've seen (and done) some things that would make your hair curl.

However, what I found out today when I got to work is beyond disgraceful, beyond forgiveness and, in my view, leaves the respect in which British service personnel have been quite rightly held, at grave risk.

Last night, some of our RAF students chose to target individuals and small groups of RSAF students, on base, in some of the most sickening assaults I have heard of for quite some time, culminating in bound and hooded victims being subjected to mock executions. Those poor lads must have had real reason to believe that their lives were about to end. Certainly, there were many injuries. mostly involving the use of knives.

You will be aware that I haven't taken my usual cautious stance and used words such as alleged and there is a good reason for this. The thugs that took part in these atrocities videoed themselves. Was it one or two idiots? On the contrary, a total of thirty plus were arrested last night and early hours of this morning and as far as I am aware, at 13:00 today, not a single one has denied their part in the incident.

I don't think I need to state the obvious in defining the catalyst.

As far as I am aware, 93% of Saudis are Muslim so these students formed an easy, and vulnerable, target for the thuggish, moronic cowards last night.

I always thought that the military were supposed to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. Where is the glory in the actions of last night? (a rhetorical question, of course).

I've worked with a lot of RSAF students and from my experience I can say that they are, by and large, much the same as any other young men, except that, almost universally, they don't just call themselves Mulsims, they LIVE Islam, being kind, considerate, helpful, caring people.

They are understandably a little nervous and apprehensive about being so far away from home but they try to immerse themselves in the culture of the country which hosts them, and at the same time, wholeheartedly invite both staff and other students to take part in their daily lives and celebrations in a genuine and generous attempt to help us understand them. For example, they regularly host meals and entertainments, prepared by themselves, in the evenings to which all and sundry are invited.

Furthermore, they are all well educated in the ways of their host country and woe betide any who transgress. I know their liaison officer, a RSAF Lieutenant Colonel very well and he is a fearsome monster who scares even me.

Sadly, I am aware of the radicalisation of our youth (and the not so young) by the likes of BNP and EDL and I hear the endless moronic rhetoric and naive, immature political tenets by which they attempt to justify their xenophobic violence but, until today, I had thought that the kind of young person who was prepared to voluntarily take a job where they might have to risk their lives in defence of others, would be somewhat above this sort of thuggish cowardice.

I was wrong.

I am deeply saddened to hear that some of your students have lowered themselves to the depraved depths that one usually attributes to the likes of the scum that perpetrated the heinous outrage in Woolwich yesterday.
I fully understand that they, as do many of us would like some redress but, this is certainly not the way.
Redress will by way of the law of the land and the certain knowledge that those that committed murder on our streets in the most public fashion will not be entering paradise or indeed marrying 72 black eyed virgins in the process. No doubt they expected such in awaiting the police to be shot an killed.
They will rot in our prisons for the rest of their miserable lives, a fitting end for such filth. Death is too good for them.

In respnse to Paul's post, I am disgusted by the actions of those involved. I served in the RAF and have immense pride in the Service but am ashamed to think that these people wear the RAF uniform, in fact I hope the last time that these people will wear the uniform is at a Court Martial were they should be dismissed from the Service.

I served at RAF Halton were numerous foreign airmen from countries of the Commonwealth and the Arab world trained as technicians. I found these airmen to be polite, courteous and friendly, and I cannot recall of a single incident of abuse being directed towards these airmen due to their colour or religion.

Mike

Would have thought such savagery might have attracted the attention of the national media. Maybe it has, and I have missed it. Or more likely other preceding events have been deemed more important. So a massive cloak has therefore been dropped in order to cover the unpalatable evidence (recordings) of criminality and a gross lack of discipline which on the face or it can only result in dishonourable discharge. Another aspect of course is the shame heaped upon the rest of us in the eyes of respected friends.

As for the obvious catalyst - the fruits of Islam? Don’t think so. The two murderers are just that. Murderers. They may espouse their conversion to Islam (they were allegedly from a strong Christian household and converted to Islam around 2003) but their radicalisation had precious little to do with the Qur’an, except as a useful phoney crutch for their teachers to offer as justification for their rants of hate.

There are many immature and receptive minds to work on in the effort to develop a second society (feeding off the primary) and subservient to the self-appointed apostles with their own twisted values and dreams of omniscience. The old adage “Beware the zealots……” (originally quoted in Genesis) is just as valid in today’s soulless, wanton Gomorrhan world as it was 2000 years ago.

Students of religion will recognise surprising similarities between creeds, including prophets of the same name, which make the aberrant and horrific behaviour all the more difficult to understand. There are Western non-political sects just as scary as the worst fanatics’ threats and both are ready to provide a home for those who would seek it.

Atrocities provoke reaction and calls for capital punishment and Biblical retribution, such as an eye for an eye, abound. In my opinion that’s just throwing fuel on the fire and just as extreme. It may temporarily sate the thirst for vengeance whilst inviting escalation.
For the religious fanatics there is sufficient wriggle room to combine and celebrate their commonalities rather than fight over the differences - given of course their (proclaimed) ability to confess their sins of Pride. Some hope there!

The solution lies in the root. Those who indoctrinate the uncommitted juvenile mind under the guise of religious instruction should be considered as committing treason (old fashioned, I know) and removed to a place where they can damage no more, preferably to their cultural origins and irrelevancies like their human rights ignored.

I agree with every word Paul.

It appears that some people just don't seem to be able to understand that the vast majority of Muslims are just as horrified as we are by what happened in Woolwich. Every religion has its share of complete nutters - Christianity has people like the Westboro Baptist Church, and the David Koresh cult who were responsible for the Waco Texas massacre.

What occurred in Woolwich is nothing to do with being Muslim, but instead is all to do with people being indoctrinated by those who have twisted religious teachings to meet a politically violent agenda.