Remembering

Turn on the news!

It was the first email I opened a year ago, from Tammy. Turn on the news! That's all it said.

It's never a good day when it starts with a command to switch on CNN. July 7th, 2005 was no exception. Fifty-two people dead and hundreds injured when four Islamic "faithful" blew themselves up on the London transit system.

The G8 was taking place in Britain (Gleneagles Scotland, to be precise), and went into total lockdown. The only one moving was Tony Blair, who had to make his way back to London to survey the damage and make a statement.

Those who were - and remain - against the War on Terror screamed and shrieked that it was Blair's fault, America's fault - anyone's fault except the four men who were now face to face with Allah in the fires of Hell. Those of us who understood the reasons for war, who still woke with night terrors of falling buildings, we just gravely nodded our heads, toughened our resolve, and we fight on.

A wonderful website called We're Not Afraid sprung up from amidst the soot and blood in downtown London. People posted pictures of themselves from all over the world, refusing to be cowed by terrorism. Because without terror, terrorism ceases to be.

A month ago 17 Muslim men were arrested here in Toronto. Had they not been captured, I may not be writing this today, given the location of my office. But you know what?

We are not afraid.