His killers were denied their martyrdom (Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
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Like a still from a cheap horror flick, Michael Adebolajo stands with a meat cleaver and a large knife clasped in one hand. His free hand, saturated in blood, is raised towards the camera. Together with his accomplice and fellow convert Michael Adebowale, he has just murdered off-duty Fusilier Lee Rigby. Ten years ago today, this grisly scene on the streets of Woolwich was splashed across almost every newspaper front page. It is one of the most sensational — and complained about — images in the history of both the British media and the fight against terror.
The scene painted by the footage is both horrifyingly perplexing and peculiarly British. The sky is overcast. No one seems to be running or screaming, or trying to confront and overpower the killers. A consolatory moment is provided by the “Angel of Woolwich”, the woman who calmly conversed with and challenged the killers before taking off to catch her bus. In the background, there is a bundle in the middle of the road. It is the body of Lee Rigby.
Michael Adebolajo grew up and went to school in Havering, where East London spills into Essex. Nevertheless, he addresses bystanders as “you people”, telling them they will “never be safe” before warning that British soldiers must leave “our lands”, meaning Iraq and Afghanistan. To his mind, he is no longer a British man born to a Nigerian-Christian family and schooled in Romford, but a member of the global Ummah, which is under existential attack from the West.
The murderers never attributed their attack to al-Qaeda, but in many ways it fit the al-Qaeda bill. It was a highly specific act of violence, targeting a member of the enemy’s armed forces. It was the kind of attack the group’s Yemen branch had directly called for in their English-language magazine less than a year beforehand. It was so discriminate that Adebolajo was careful to assure bystanders they were not his targets, even going so far as to apologise to nearby women for the bloodshed. Two years later, the al-Qaeda trained Charlie Hebdo killers would similarly — and impatiently — remind a journalist that they had only killed blasphemers; that they hadn’t harmed “civilians”. This was honour, jihadi-style.
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In other ways, Lee Rigby’s murder was the kind of gruesome spectacle that al-Qaeda’s leadership would later warn against, but which Islamic State would make their hallmark. A gruesome spectacle, but a shoddy and amateurish one, too: Adebolajo and Adebowale rammed Lee Rigby with a Vauxhall Tigra before trying, and failing, to behead their victim. The rusty antique revolver they had acquired malfunctioned, and they were denied martyrdom by arriving armed police.
By contrast, the Charlie Hebdo attackers came clad in all black tactical gear, wielded Kalashnikovs and raised their fists having avenged the Prophet. They looked the business, and they went down in a hail of bullets. Adebolajo, in his Stone Island beanie and Primarni toggle jacket, did not. Adebolajo and Adebowale didn’t pledge allegiance to al-Qaeda in their attack, but perhaps notably, al-Qaeda never claimed them either.
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SubscribeI have many memories of that day as I watched events unfold on television.
Comments on national newspaper websites appeared to be closed down – one notable exception being the Daily Mail, but even there, comments were anaemic and sanitised.
Next was the apparent national campaign aimed at avoiding manipulation of the event by the dreaded “far-right”. Indeed, this seemed to assume greater importance than the event itself in the ensuing days.
Also apparent was the same kind of finger pointing as that described in the article, when the real culprit was obvious to us all.
Time to purge this evil from “our lands”.
It seems there is a movement among the so-called far Right suggesting that any Muslim extremist killed in the course of a terrorist activity should be buried wrapped in a pig skin. While not advocating this, I do wonder if that might cause further reflexion among the would be killers and their possibilities of being denied access to the seventy virgins said to await them.
right on — sink to their level — am i far right? i am not sure what it entails, but more than likely. i think this was too heinous to even imagine and i can imagine a lot of things
Right, we should keep playing by our rules, because that is working out so well for us. No, we need to get creative with this situation. You want to imagine something? Imagine living in a high-trust society where we don’t fear young men in the street.
We cannot have a “high trust” society with so many recent incomers, and orcs.
We cannot have a “high trust” society with so many recent incomers, and orcs.
Right, we should keep playing by our rules, because that is working out so well for us. No, we need to get creative with this situation. You want to imagine something? Imagine living in a high-trust society where we don’t fear young men in the street.
right on — sink to their level — am i far right? i am not sure what it entails, but more than likely. i think this was too heinous to even imagine and i can imagine a lot of things
Sorry to break it to you, but this isn’t “your land” any more.
Firstly, “their” population share of the total is really maybe close to the 8% mark (census figures of 6-7% likely understate).
Secondly, they are growing faster – more kids, more “refugees” (who, unlike well educated Indian and Asian immigrants, will keep coming come what may).
Thirdly, they have a higher share of younger people, and particularly low educated, violent, ideologically committed young men, who can project power by coming onto the streets and rioting.
Fourthly, the insane levels of support from media, law, and don’t forget all those feminist upper class women who otherwise can’t stop squeaking about the “patriarchy”.
Keep in mind, restaurants went “halal” en masse when they were just 2-3%. And the distribution is uneven, so what you realistically have is Leicester, where the proportion is more like 15-20%, and they terrorised the Hindu community with impunity, and even for the media to paint themselves as victims. Just a precursor of things to come.
It seems there is a movement among the so-called far Right suggesting that any Muslim extremist killed in the course of a terrorist activity should be buried wrapped in a pig skin. While not advocating this, I do wonder if that might cause further reflexion among the would be killers and their possibilities of being denied access to the seventy virgins said to await them.
Sorry to break it to you, but this isn’t “your land” any more.
Firstly, “their” population share of the total is really maybe close to the 8% mark (census figures of 6-7% likely understate).
Secondly, they are growing faster – more kids, more “refugees” (who, unlike well educated Indian and Asian immigrants, will keep coming come what may).
Thirdly, they have a higher share of younger people, and particularly low educated, violent, ideologically committed young men, who can project power by coming onto the streets and rioting.
Fourthly, the insane levels of support from media, law, and don’t forget all those feminist upper class women who otherwise can’t stop squeaking about the “patriarchy”.
Keep in mind, restaurants went “halal” en masse when they were just 2-3%. And the distribution is uneven, so what you realistically have is Leicester, where the proportion is more like 15-20%, and they terrorised the Hindu community with impunity, and even for the media to paint themselves as victims. Just a precursor of things to come.
I have many memories of that day as I watched events unfold on television.
Comments on national newspaper websites appeared to be closed down – one notable exception being the Daily Mail, but even there, comments were anaemic and sanitised.
Next was the apparent national campaign aimed at avoiding manipulation of the event by the dreaded “far-right”. Indeed, this seemed to assume greater importance than the event itself in the ensuing days.
Also apparent was the same kind of finger pointing as that described in the article, when the real culprit was obvious to us all.
Time to purge this evil from “our lands”.
Islamic extremism now has the tacit support of Gestaplod, with the weapon ‘ Islamophobia’…. like something out of Alice in Wonderland…
Quite so. The propaganda term “Islamophobia” exists principally to protect Islam from any criticism or scrutiny by secular societies and the fact that it has become common currency in English indicates that it is very effective indeed. It hardly needs adding that the mere fact that Islam requires special protection from scrutiny proves how essential such scrutiny really is. No other religion is so demanding of respect while doing so little to earn it.
“No other religion is so demanding of respect while doing so little to earn it.”
Spot on. Personally, I view it as more of a political ideology thinly clad in a religious veneer. At its core, Islam is about control and power.
“No other religion is so demanding of respect while doing so little to earn it.”
Spot on. Personally, I view it as more of a political ideology thinly clad in a religious veneer. At its core, Islam is about control and power.
Quite so. The propaganda term “Islamophobia” exists principally to protect Islam from any criticism or scrutiny by secular societies and the fact that it has become common currency in English indicates that it is very effective indeed. It hardly needs adding that the mere fact that Islam requires special protection from scrutiny proves how essential such scrutiny really is. No other religion is so demanding of respect while doing so little to earn it.
Islamic extremism now has the tacit support of Gestaplod, with the weapon ‘ Islamophobia’…. like something out of Alice in Wonderland…
We talk about what to do with the attackers but we never mention that every attacker has a network of support behind him. His immediate family, his extended family, his friends, his mosque, etc. They pretend they have no idea but we all realise that’s false. Look around. It isn’t the crazy-looking radical young men who are the problem. It is all the people behind them, teaching them and supporting them. Let’s start talking about what to do with that problem.
We talk about what to do with the attackers but we never mention that every attacker has a network of support behind him. His immediate family, his extended family, his friends, his mosque, etc. They pretend they have no idea but we all realise that’s false. Look around. It isn’t the crazy-looking radical young men who are the problem. It is all the people behind them, teaching them and supporting them. Let’s start talking about what to do with that problem.
RIP Lee Rigby.
RIP Lee Rigby.
Interesting point about the role of social media and the clamour for removing content as quickly as possible. If that denies the security services visibility of growing extremity, then that is a worry. A bit like giving the baddy the heads up that they are watched, noted.
Interesting point about the role of social media and the clamour for removing content as quickly as possible. If that denies the security services visibility of growing extremity, then that is a worry. A bit like giving the baddy the heads up that they are watched, noted.
It’s past time for England to bring back the death penalty.
It’s past time for England to bring back the death penalty.
Come back Arnaud Almaric we need you now.
Yes, Archbishop Arnaud Amalric….”Kill them all, and let God sort them out” (or words to that effect). I, personally, always liked the style of Charles Martel.
Yes, Archbishop Arnaud Amalric….”Kill them all, and let God sort them out” (or words to that effect). I, personally, always liked the style of Charles Martel.
Come back Arnaud Almaric we need you now.