UK Terror Attacks

In the wake of the terrorist attacks against the citizens of the United Kingdom today, we cannot easily express our profound sense of sympathy for and solidarity with Prime Minister Tony Blair and the many physically and emotionally wounded people of the United Kingdom. After the terrorist attacks against New York City on September 11, 2001, the world came together across religious and political divides, united in the desire to bring global terrorism to an end. We hope with the utmost sincerity that the world can once again come together to bring an end to global terrorism and to usher in an era of unbroken peace. We ask all of our readers to join us in praying for the victims of today's attacks, for their families, for Prime Minister Tony Blair, for all world leaders, for an end to terrorism, and for peace in the world.

In the wake of yet another deadly attack, we wonder if it might be time to reevaluate our methods in the war on terrorism. After New York, Madrid, and now London -- not to mention the countless attacks throughout the Middle East -- is it perhaps time for a new approach? After September 11, international coalitions invaded Afghanistan and later Iraq, in the hopes of eradicating global terrorism. On the contrary, however, global terrorism has been strengthened and it seems that al-Qaeda is thriving. One of America's primary goals was to keep the war on terrorism off of our shores -- so far we have done that, but at what cost? By fighting so hard to keep the war on terrorism off of our shores, have we inadvertently brought it to the shores of our friends in Europe? Today it came to the shores of the United Kingdom; months before, to the borders of Spain; after this, we cannot know where or when it will strike again.

Is it not time for us to raise the legitimate question: Can the violence of terrorism truly be fought with violence in return? Is it not time to ask ourselves if the war on terrorism will be won by winning land and body counts, or by winning hearts and minds? Is it not time to ask ourselves if we should put aside our guns and bombs, in favor of words of peace and nonviolent resistance? Is it not time to ask ourselves, in the light of the starkly serious circumstances presented to us today, if we are truly any better off, truly any safer, almost five years into the war on terrorism? Is it not time to ask ourselves if our war on terrorism has perhaps really been what the terrorists have wanted all along? Is it not time to ask ourselves if we have perhaps given them the jihad they were looking for, bolstering their numbers by the violence we ourselves have committed against people who otherwise would not be terrorists?

These are hard questions, unpopular questions -- but they are nevertheless questions which must be asked. Isn't it time to ask these questions before we see more terrorist attacks like the ones we've already seen in New York, Madrid, and London? My friends, it is not a matter of if we are going to see more terrorist attacks like these -- in the present global climate, it is merely a matter of when. We owe it to ourselves and to our brothers and sisters worldwide to ask ourselves, in all seriousness, if we have truly been doing everything we can to eradicate terrorism, or if we have only been contributing to it by our quest for revenge.

In the meantime, we ask God our Father, through the intercession of Our Lady of Peace, to bring an end to global terrorism and to bring the world to an authentic and lasting peace. We ask him, through the intercession of St. Augustine of Canterbury and Pope St. Gregory the Great, to be with and comfort the families who lost loved ones today, and we ask him to bring their loved ones into his eternal life and light. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.

- The Contributors