Radicalised Youth...

I haven't blogged about the bomb attacks in London last week for a variety of reasons: shock, anger and a lack of words to verbalise my feelings. I consider myself a Londoner and I think this event has really had a big impact on me. I am proud of the way that people are rallying in the aftermath. God bless London!

It is now becoming clear that a group of fundamental British Muslims are responsible for the bombings. News reports tell us that possibly 3000 British people have gone through the terror "training camps" in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Details of one of the bombers have been released and it appears that he is a 19 old. None of the bombers stood out as being extremists: they lived normal lives and were fully integrated into the society that they chose to attack. I don't know whether the other bombers were young people too but it seems obvious that extreme groups are manipulating and exploiting devout young men in order to further their cause. Why do these young men feel the need to go down this route? Is it necessarily the "cause" or could it be anything?
I believe that our society can be perceived as so bland and so materialistic that I can understand why young people can feel powerless and angry. I believe that certain individuals and groups are highly adept at channeling this hatred for their own ends. DOes this mean that the cause could be anything, that maybe if they young men had been white they'd have been recruited to the BNP?

I may well edit this because I wanted to say more...