LONDON is CALLING?!Absolutely! (perhaps)Events in London last Thursday prompted me to write & revive this Blog after weeks of procrastination. I had to. There was a bit of sense of responsibility as a global citizen.
I’ll start with what I wrote to some English Folks few hours after the braking news of the London Bombing:
This is to express my deepest sorrow, condemnation, and sincere sympathy with regard to the shocking and the appalling violent coward attacks in London earlier today. I hope that you, your families, and all your loved ones are safe. I’m sure you’ve got the strength and the resolve to face up this tragedy, I wish you the comfort and the safety of all your loved ones. -- From Cairo
I here extend these words to all Londoners…
London is engraved in my audio memory since I was 5 years old. “HoNa London” in Arabic -“This is London” was my dad’s favorite source of news – and still is - for tens of years.
When I was a teenage, on my own, I wanted to visit London for a summer of independence and fun. The British councilor Rep did not grant me the Visa. The reason then, I was “too young”. In my Opinion then, the decision of not giving me the visa was a bit arrogant perhaps due to second hand and inaccurate information.
I ended up visiting Germany, Switzerland, and Austria during this summer but among a group of older youth supervised by adults. I loved Germany, I disliked England then. I was 16.
Two years later in my way to America as a new immigrant, There was a London Stop over. I was only granted 36 hours Visa to visit London and My dearest uncle who lived in London at this time. He loved London. Then I liked his company for few hours during some sightseeing. “Arrogant” was my view of England for many years due to the insistence of only issuing me 36 hours visa. I did not want and did not care to visit England even after many years of not needing any advance Visa to visit.
Only Last August I had to travel for Business to the UK for 4 days. I’ve stayed in London & commuted to my business meetings. Grownup, I loved London.
Of course there was not enough time to do London proper. I loved the Tubes, the Double Deck Busses, the Taxis, and most of all walking in the streets of London.
I’ve done at least one important thing that London tourists do. I‘ve watched a play.
Franco Zeffirelli's
“Absolutely - Perhaps” was brilliant. I’ve loved it. One can look at almost any affair and analyze for sanity including the latest Insane London Bombings which I may take on in another post in this Blog soon.
http://www.theatreguidelondon.co.uk/reviews/absolutelyperhaps03.htm%20
I vowed to myself that I shall return to London for more. In fact I could have been to London this summer with one of the family youngster. Because I believed that living in London even for few weeks, it would teach a youngster how to live responsibly, if only to use London great Public Transit Systems.
We could have been in the midst of one of those horrible places last Thursday. Just the thought of this, makes the sense of responsibility to write the above words of Condemnation and Sympathy to Londoners.
One would add the admiration to the people of London and their local Leaders in particulars. Brian Paddic, the head of London Metro Police Services exemplified the utmost responsibility and professionalism in the early hours after the tragedy uniting the community by refusing to associate Islam and the insane perpetrators of these crimes. Sky News had done extremely well in not jumping into conclusions. They kept covering the Human story in a very professional way. The Mayor of London
Ken Livingstone is as great as ever, pure courage and resolve. http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/mayorbiog.jsp
Even Blair had done well, as he pulled the G8 with the Aid to Africa and the Palestinian Authority realizing that this is “Only the Beginning”. This is Hope.
My vow to return to London is my solidarity to Londoners as much as it is my solidarity with the Palestinians, the people of Iraq, the poor in Africa, and all oppressed in the world. Hope, prosperity, freedom, and liberty for all.
