The Broken Kingdom

By George D. Verlander

One definition of the term ‘united’ is stated as; “joined together politically, for a common purpose, or by common feelings.”

We are no longer a United Kingdom, divided not by colour or creed, not by social class or education but by the very foundation that we have assembled this democratic civilization that we inhabit. The freedom of speech, and more specifically, the availability of free will have acted as the catalyst of our downfall.

We live in a country that permits us to say what we feel, listen to what we want to hear and as a result act upon these privileges in any way we deem necessary.

A prime example of this degeneration can be taken from the mutilation of Lee Rigby. Was his execution ‘necessary?’

On the afternoon of 22^nd May 2013 the British soldier, Drummer (Private) Lee Rigby of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, was run down by a car in the streets of Woolwich outside the Royal Artillery Barracks. The very same men who had wounded him from within the automobile then attacked Mr. Rigby, who had been returning from work to the barracks. After exiting the vehicle the pair proceeded towards his injured body, assaulted him with multiple weapons including knives and a cleaver, until he was dead. The two men then concluded their attack with an attempt to decapitate the dead soldier.

The two men, later confirmed as Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, remained by their target after their assault, waiting for police to arrive so that they could be shot down and die glorified in martyrdom. The pair even encouraged civilians at the scene to video tape them so that the whole world would know of what they had done on that day.

One of the assailants, Michael Adebolajo, was filmed stating – “The only reason we have killed this man today is because Muslims are dying daily by British soldiers. And this British soldier is one … By Allah, we swear by the almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you until you leave us alone. So what if we want to live by the Sharia in Muslim lands? Why does that mean you must follow us and chase us and call us extremists and kill us? … when you drop a bomb do you think it hits one person? Or rather your bomb wipes out a whole family? … Through [many passages in the] Koran we must fight them as they fight us … I apologise that women had to witness this today but in our lands women have to see the same. You people will never be safe. Remove your governments, they don’t care about you. You think David Cameron is gonna get caught in the street when we start busting our guns? Do you think politicians are going to die? No, it's going to be the average guy, like you and your children. So get rid of them. Tell them to bring our troops back … leave our lands and you will live in peace.”

The two men were yesterday found guilty of murdering Lee Rigby. They await sentencing.

How can a man who had served in war-torn countries be murdered on British soil by the very same enemies that he sought to protect us from; allowed to roam free in our streets, live off our resources and slowly, but surely integrate within our own society and claim to be one of us. Months before the event took place Adebolajo was known to police for spreading hate, even approaching young children in an attempt of persuasion to get them to join his cult’s warped beliefs.

Lee Rigby’s murder was pre-meditated; thought out and conducted solely on a military individual to represent an apparent illustration that Britain is at war with ‘Islam.’ This was the motive given in trial from both Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale. They condemned foreign policy, the British military’s involvement in Islamic dominated countries and the treatment of individuals belonging to the Islamic faith – all of which indicated the justification of their actions.

Sadly, part of this is true. Individuals in these horrific environments indeed die every day, and the reasons for the British government’s involvement with these wars in the last decade have sometimes been hard, if not impossible, to establish meaning.

I am not against war, nor am I against fighting for what is right. However, I have little hope in the rehabilitation of some middle-eastern countries, so corrupt with political and social turmoil. I fail to support the involvement that our troops have been forced to operate in the last few years. What will happen when, or better yet if, we finally cease this war? How long will these disintegrated societies stand until they are taken back into terrorist hands?

I live in a democratic society where we are all deemed equal. We are encouraged to support, listen and learn from one another. I cannot believe that this same society has been stained by an event such as Lee Rigby’s assassination; where just because an individual or two have an opposing view from another that this may lead to rationalize their measures.

Islam is not to blame. I have known and have been friends with Muslims. Radicalization, and more specifically extremisms within Islam – which minorities in this country are associated with – are to blame. Killing someone because they do not agree with you, or do not comply with your personal thoughts and ideals should never, and I hope will never, be an excusable reason to take another life.  

In Britain we are divided by an endless list. We are divided by our support in football teams. We are divided in our choice of political parties. We are divided by our musical preferences. We are divided by our educational achievements and our sporting abilities. We are divided in our faiths, our religions and our personal thoughts of what lies after this life. However, these divides are what represent our multi-national and cultural communities. An Atheist and a Catholic can be best friends. An Englishman and a Nigerian can be best friends. That’s not what the problem is in this country.

The problem, as I mentioned earlier, is free speech. I am grateful for it, and truly blessed to live in a land that allows it. Although, am I not the only one who believes that it has begun to fall into corrupt hands? An individual such as Anjem Choudary, who does not at all represent the Islamic faith as a select group, is permitted to preach freely wherever he likes. He has manipulated this humanitarian right – preaching hate to individuals, urging them to take up arms against our country and it’s customs. It may not come as a surprise to you that he was connected to Michael Adebolajo, and even resisted to condemn his follower’s actions after he had killed in Woolwich.

Should the right of free speech only be permitted up to the extent where what you say does not affect others? Should we make it an offense to offend someone? That's a gigantic grey area in itself. 

In a peace promoting country such as ours why should individuals such as Choudary be allowed to reside in it? If all these people do is oppose it and seek to destroy it from within, surely they are forsaking their right to live in that particular domain, regardless of whether or not they are born here. Would it be cruel to think of a future where every individual has to prove their worth, and why they deserve to live in a country such as Great Britain, those who offer only negativity failing the requirements and forced into exile? It would be interesting to see nevertheless. Perhaps we would see an increase in work productivity, or even maybe a decrease in crime rate statistics, alas, who knows?  

I am no politician, nor any policy maker. But I do believe that if you have an idea that others may find truly oppose then you should retain it to yourself. Your thoughts, however radicalized they may be, are your own. What gives anyone the right to impose their ideals onto other people, to force what they think onto others and compel them to act like they act? Since when did that become the depiction of a democratic state? How quickly did these select individuals forget youthful messages such as "if you have nothing nice to say then don't say nothing at all!" 

Divided, and broken, although similar, are not identical. Divided, yes, we may differ from thought to thought, emotion to emotion, faith to faith. That’s acceptable. It is what makes us unique. Broken, however, denotes the actuality that these differences have caused a catastrophic reaction in our society, which they have and will continue to do so, until we decide to turn away from treachery and it’s inviting sources that dwell in this un-united, broken kingdom.