London 7th July 2005

So here I am sitting in my house with the TV turned on and tears streaming down my face.

I feel violated, I feel like my mother has been assaulted by someone.

Death in any part of the world is horrible, bombs anywhere are horrible, yet London for me is like a precious jewel. I have never been to New York, but I imagine it is the same. Truly in the history of humanity, there have not been many cities as free and open to opportunities as New York and London today.

I have friends from many countries, who are struggling and fighting to make their lives in London with opportunities they would never have in their own city or country. I hear people moaning about London, yet they are still here and London offers them a home and opportunities, however, tough it sometimes is.

So they attack this, a place in the world where Muslims can come and make a success of their lives, they attack it.

So I prey that for me a beacon of opportunity and freedom in the world will not be extinguished. Perhaps I am melodramatic in this emotional moment, but after years of travel, visits to many cities in the world I know what London has is rare, so not everyone can experience it, but please let us not extinguish it.

A world without the cities like London would be a far poorer world, and where would people then be able to dream of going?

Where will the poor immigrant's children be able to climb the slippery pole, not many do, but there is still opportunity for some.

So I cry for the London I love and for what it has given me and many other people fortunate enough to make it their home.