The answer to terrorism is justice

I stood hypnotised by BBC World, part of my brain knew people in the room were trying to talk to me but I couldn't resolve their words while I struggled to comprehend what was happening. I was sitting in Baghdad, on a remarkably calm day (with a coolish breeze and little background small arms fire) watching scenes of devastation back home in London. I tried to call my sister but the mobiles network was down (it turns out she was in Kings Cross when the bomb there went off, but in a different underground tunnel, and didn't even hear it). Bombs and broken communication are part of the daily routine here, and you take them in your stride but when its happening at home, which you thought was safe, it's a different kettle of fish. An Iraqi friend called me to express his deep concern for my family, almost forgetting to mention that there was a gun battle raging outside his home in Mansour neighbourhood.

9-11 gave Americans an opportunity, sadly wasted and perverted, to ask themselves the question "why do 'they' hate us". Instead of admitting to the uncomfortable reality that Al-Qaeda's grievances, about which it has been very open, relate to American aggression against Muslims and support for oppressive Middle Eastern kings and dictators, all we got was this unsubstantiated rushish from Bush about "they hate our freedom" and then a serious of wars which have made things much worse. No less an expert than Michael Scheuer, who headed the CIA Counter-Terrorism Centre’s Bin Laden task force (1996–1999), wrote: "Bin Laden has been precise in telling America the reasons he is waging war on us. None of the reasons have anything to do with our freedom, liberty and democracy, but have everything to do with US policies and actions in the Muslim world." If America had admitted that, although the actions of Al-Qaeda are deplorable, theigrievanceses are justified, and seriously addressed them, then there would be thousands of more people alive in Baghdad, Kabul, Madrid and London. There would be no motivation for terror and no need for an unending unwinnable War on Terror.

So now it is our turn in Britain. As we mourn our dead and seek to bring the culprits to justice, let's not respond with racism, aggression and an incorrect analysis (see my friend Mil Rai's excellent critique of the British media's initial coverage of the bombings). Let's review our policies in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world. Let us make some historic steps towards tackling poverty and injustice and promoting genuine freedom - from dictators who are allies as much as from those we consider enemies, from the economic imperialism of the IMF as much from territorialal imperialism. As Noam Chomsky explains: "The answer to terrorism is justice, not more terrorism. London and Washington must also stop practicing the terrorism of the powerful - invasion, occupation, and indirect terrorism via oppressive states." Jesus, who both Bush & Blair claim to respect, put it even more strongly "Love your enemies as yourself."

Much of Blair's rhetoric in the run up to the summititt was supportive of the aims of the Make Poverty History coalition, but already it is looking like this summit, of countries with a combined GDP of nearly $25 trillion, is not living up to expectations. We make not be able to persuade Bush to act rightly, but we can at least get our own house in order.

As a final note, to caution us against kneejerk Islamophobia, the National Association of British Arabs, which condemns the attacks, points out "the bombing at Edgware Road was in the heart of London's Arab community, as the bombing in Aldgate East was in the heart of a Muslim community."