Suspected suicide bomber shot at Stockwell station.

[cori]

Have just heard an unconfirmed report on the radio. Anyone else?

But www, when I get out of one tube carriage and get into another because the first one has a young lone male in it, I am also making 'assumptions' about that person. Actually, I'm not, I am merely taking myself out of a situation which could, possibly be risky. I know that the risk is tiny, but I am deciding that it is a risk I don't want to take. I could offend that lone male, but frankly, I would rather offend someone than put myself at risk.

I agree
According to the news the extremists are recruiting Muslims well assimiliated into a Western way of life now
The next generation of bombers may look like Miss Marple

Should also add that I work at the hospital which took most of the casualties, and which is based in a highly Muslim area. So it's probably particularly sensitive in our workplace.

Still, not my job to defend the bosses

Exactly kelly1978, what would happen if we all did it? If everyone assumed all asians/blacks were suicide bombers? We'd get back to buses for blacks and asians and buses for whites wouldn't we? I feel really upset by this.

I do not believe in any God.

Exactly what i have been trying to say Aloha but you seem to be doing a much better job than me.

I don't assume that all asians are suicide bombers!!! I have NEVER said that or thought that for one moment and you must know that. Neither do I assume all men are rapists.

So what would happen if everyone did it? Would it be OK? To ostracise all blacks and asians because a very small minority are nutters?

I also don't belive that 'when your number's up, your numbers' up" .

thats a bit flippant dinosaur

Aloha, I know you don't assume all asians are suicide bombers, I know. but you would be considering that it was a possibility if you get off the bus because an asian man with a rucksack gets on. And if we all do it = racial segregation

Are you a young maaan Dinosaur? Otherwise I think your rucksack will be wasted.
God, I hate rucksacks anyway. Always getting bashed by them in my commuting days.

Well actually, everyone does do it when it comes to men. You very rarely see women out on their own on public transport at night.

Dinosaur - I think of teh grief we (the class) gave to an Northern Irish lad who moved to our school in teh 70's

MrsDoolittle
I don't feel, for myself personally, that I can be a Christian if I give in to suspecting that any Asian face I see may be that of a suicide bomber, b/c I know that God loves them as much as anyone else. Any man or woman is capable of killing me, however, no one is capable of killing my soul but me.

What would Jesus do? I think most Christians know the answer to that. I think terrorism tests the faith not just of Muslims but also of Christians.

This is an opportunity for us to reach out and come together - to really show our love, trust, faith and respect for one another.

WWW, well, I'm not sure that my getting off a bus when a young Asian man with a rucksack gets on it is really going to lead to total racial segregation! There are quite a lot of people of all races who don't meet this description!

I am feeling depressed and distressed. DP (Asian) is not young but the first thing I did after hearing what had happened at Stockwell (and before reading anything on MN) was call DP and beg him not to fiddle in his rucsac for his iPod, exposing the wires etc.

Whatever the rights, wrongs and arguments around it, the bombers have certainly achieved one very destructive result.

Hercules posted last night that her DH's asian friend was STABBED yesterday because people thought his luncbox was a bomb.

I completely agree with aloha - my and my families safety is paramount.

you didn't mean to offend anyone but first of all you wouldn't get on a bus/train with an asian carrying a rucksack, then it was pointed out on of the bombers 2 weeks ago was black you then agreed you wouldn't get a on bus with a asian or black person carrying a rucksack..

It offends me a lot to think that if my DH had to go to London on business (doesn't usually - it's usually Birmingham at the moment - so still a major city) that you'd avoid going on a bus/train with him.

There are approx 1.6 million Muslims living in the UK - I should imagine it's pretty hard to avoid them all. And if they're not wearing 'traditioinal' dress - how on earth do you disinguish between them and other asians (of whom there are over 2 million). Bearing in mind that not all muslims are asian!

No aloha but my point is that if everyone does it it does

Yes that is up to us and i still stand to it. i would rather be "extreme" or make things more akward for myself by taking myself and my family out of what i may percieve to be a potentially bad situation.

No place is 'safe'. One of the London bombing victims was an Israeli woman, Anat Rosenberg, who moved to London b/c she felt it was safer than her native land.