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To:
letters@guardian.co.uk |
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Dear
Editor,
I find it extraordinary that Max Hastings, in Saturday's Guardian ("What would you have done"), in the direct aftermath of the London suicide bombings by Islamist terrorists, should express his sympathy and understanding of America exploding nuclear bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki towards the end of World War 2, placing them in the context (to facilitate the reader's understanding) of the large-scale bombing of German and Japanese cities by conventional bombers, which claimed far more civilian lives than both atomic bombs. At a time when everyone is stunned by the horrors perpetrated by Islamist bombers against innocent civilians in London, Madrid and elsewhere, how can we remember the deliberate bombing of innocent civilians by "our bombers", whether nuclear or conventional, without condemning that as well? If we, good Christians that we are, can justify (or hold back from condemning) the deliberate slaughter of 100's of thousands of German and Japanese civilians by "our bombers" barely 60 years ago, why shouldn't Muslims do the same today?
P.S. Imagine the outcry if Palestinians wanted to erect a monument to "their bombers", say in East Jerusalem. Yet in London we have a monument (unveiled by the Queen Mother, no less, I believe) to Air Marshall Sir Arthur Harrison, who was responsible for Bomber Command killing 100's of thousands of German civilians in World War 2. Admittedly, many now consider these actions to be "contentious". But would we be content for Muslims to consider the bombing of our cities as merely "contentious"?
P.P.S. In the 1970's I lived in the German city of Hanover, where my parents came to visit me. During their visit I took them to the city's town hall, where there were a number of models of the city: as it was in the 17th century, in 1939 (just before the war), in 1945 (just after the war) and now. While we were standing looking at the 1945 model, showing most of the city in ruins, I made a comment about how terrible it was that "our bombers" could have done such a thing, deliberately destroying the whole city (not just strategic targets) and unnecessarily killing so many German civilians. I was quite unprepared for the venomous ferocity with which my mother turned on me: "They started it! They deserved it!" (or words to that effect). My mother is certainly as nice, if not a darn sight nicer than most people, yet in those circumstances she vigorously defended and justified the bombing of civilians, with all the death, pain and horror that goes with it. If my father had been one of the bombers (i.e. had flown in one of them), she would would have been very proud of him, I'm sure. On the other hand, my cousin's father-in-law actually did fly in a British bomber, but much to the anger and self-righteous indignation of my aunt and uncle, is now deeply ashamed and regretful of the unjustified carnage he participated in.
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