Personal experience in the London underground

A few months ago, I was boarding the London tube from Brixton to my daily destination: the British Library which is at a walkable distance from King's Cross. Everything was OK untill we got at Green Park station. What happened was that when the tube stopped, everybody around me started to run away. It took me a few seconds to understand what was going on because I was fully immersed in a book. The tube carriage was all smoke. We all thought that it was an attack, similar to that of July the 7th. I was not sure if any explanations were given on the causes of what happened but the thing I was sure of was that nothing was said on any of the TV channels I watched that night.

Immediately after that and for my whole stay in London, I could easily notice the tense faces at all the tube carriages I happened to get on board. The fear that something was about to happen, that a bomb would explode any second; and you start thinking about whether or not you are going to listen to the expolsion before you die. I was wondering what would happen in that fraction of a second between the bomb blowing and me being killed.

That horrendous experience was enough to fully understand the feelings of the British people in the aftermath of July the 7th. Now, it was not something I watched on TV or read in the papers; now it was me facing death. Now, It was me grabbing hold of my heavy bag and running away from the tube wagon which could blow up any second. Now, It was me being dogged by death and trying to jump the station rolling stairs in one step without being certain that all would be well there where I was going. Now, It was me, a muslim trying not to get killed in the London underground. Time to understand that, regardless of our differences, we all have to live together- in peace. Please enough with pointing fingers. One cannot blame relgions for what some might have done. Islam never preached violence but there are black sheep everywhere, in every religion. I hope those black sheep cease to exist, not with the gun and the bomb, but with the word. You cannot fight violence with more violence; we all know that violence begets violence. But with the word, understanding, tolerance, respect, and also with the ability and courage to see and acknowledge one's failings, for the best of all of us.