Glasgow Airport
Edinburgh city centre was crawling with police last night. When I stepped off the bus in Princes Street I counted 7 on foot and 3 vehicles straight away. The already high security for the opening of the Scottish Parliament has been stepped up.
It is too early to say much about the appalling attack at Glasgow Airport. Many of us will have passed through the area where the attack took place. The school holidays are starting here and the place was full of families, of all races, religions and nationalities, heading for the sun. And two inept would-be martyrs aimed to kill as many of them as possible.
The result has already been a backlash against the asian communities here in Scotland. Meanwhile our first minister and some of the papers are keen to point out that the attackers probably weren't Scottish. So have local muslim leaders including the Muslim Association of Britain. Asian voters are an important part of the constituency of the SNP now and polls have indicated a large degree of support for Scottish independence from that community. The only Muslim MSP represents the SNP. So there is a complex dynamic of race, religion and nationality taking place.
We need to come together and stand against any racist backlash, regardless of the nationality of the attackers. We also need to say once again that there is no place in our society for murderous zealots but that means recognising that perpetrating injustice around the world has to stop.
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2 Comments:
I had a double-take at the story on the BBC website regarding this over the "they are not Scottish" line adopted by the SNP. My first thought was why does the nationality of those responsible have a bearing on it. Then, of course, I could only conclude that the SNP are not - and never have been - bothered about stoking up racist tensions ... settler watch lives on!
I think Salmond had been told that those arrested were from outside the UK, and so wanted to try to allay any reaction against the asian community in Scotland by making it clear it was "baddie foreigners". Which is fair enough.
But before that information was clear (not that it is clear yet tbh) it did sound like he was implying it was those terrible English muslims wot did it. It sounded even worse coming from Kenny 'drunk and disorderly' McAskill.
As I say, a complex race/religion/nationality dynamic.
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