The ISIL thug killing in London this week is regrettably, not the first time that a person ostensibly acting in the name of a religion has murdered or tried to murder other human beings.
I recall as a young 18 year old being in Turkey at the time of the USA's involvement with the then Vietnam war. Riots took place in Istanbul around John with whom I was traveling and I when the police in endeavouring to restore order killed some by-standers.
A few years later in November 1981 at about midnight in Wimbledon, there was an huge explosion from nearby, which caused our neighbours and ourselves to come out in pyjamas onto the street to learn if we could, what had happened. As was reported the next day:
LONDON, Nov. 13— A bomb exploded tonight at the home of the British Attorney General, Sir Michael Havers, slightly injuring four police officers.
In Dublin, the Irish Republican Army said its guerrillas had planted the bomb.
Police said the blast caused a ''tremendous explosion.'' The house was empty at the time. A Scotland Yard spokesman said three police officers were taken to a hospital with minor injuries, and another officer on duty outside the house in the southwest London suburb of Wimbledon suffered shock.
I doubt that the Turkish "Fruko", the IRA or the ISIL thugs were or are motivated by any true religious ferver but expect that their motivations were and are as is often the case with bullies, motivated by self interest.
That is not to say that unfairness, perhaps huge unfairness exists at the seat of the thuggery, for example the rampant religious discrimination in Northern Ireland at the time of the IRA bombing, only really began to be tackled by the NI equivalent of the the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 well after the IRA began its killings.
From a religious viewpoint however most catholics would know that "turning the other cheek" might still involve protesting but never attempts to risk innocent people's lives let alone deliberately kill them so the IRA could not be said to be acting for the church.
Thus the thug's butchery in Westminster this week comprising truly awful murders and maiming, although apparently said to be based on some interpretation or other of the Koran, was not based on any true religious belief but upon naivity coupled with greed and perhaps, though this is too early to say, lack of a proper enriching school and/or home life.
May those who are injured recover as soon as possible and those who have died RIP
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