Manchester
Whilst not being Mancunian by birth (as many of you know) I have lived in this part of the world for 44 years and seen the city change from the smoky, seedy, post-cotton metropolis that even in those days was still struggling to find its true identity after the war (but which was frankly still a seriously 'interesting' place to be even in those days), to what it is now - a vibrant modern city that thrives in a multicultural effervescence of arts and business and is deeply protective of its own identity.
I'm sure you will have seen the tributes paid to those of all cultures who assisted those who were immediately affected by Monday's attack, and it is that spirit, that 'togetherness' that is one of the reasons I loved the place even in the smoky dirty days of the 1970's, and continue to love it now. It isn't all sweetness and light - there have been too many reports even in recent years of the gang issues in Wythenshawe and Salford, and the past problems in Moss Side that are still there, but on a scale that is tolerated, not to mention the child grooming cases that have been brought to light in Rochdale, and the predilections of the now disgraced Cyril Smith to mention just a few - it's a major city after all, home these days to getting on for 3 million people over Greater Manchester. But it's the majority of people that matter, and mercifully those were in plentiful supply on Monday night.
All of us, whether in Manchester, Paris, London, Nice, Berlin or anywhere else that has been the victim of terrorist attacks in the recent years, ALL of us wherever we are, are bigger than the small minded minority that would try to upset our freedom to go freely in our day to day business and enjoy our daily life. There are more of us than there are of them, and the majority will prevail.
However, although the Muslim communities all over the country quite rightly (and obviously) condemn the attack, I still haven't actually heard anyone actually say publicly and on record that the people who carry out these attacks are not Muslim. Until the faith goes further than just condemning those who have carried out attacks and actually effectively 'excommunicates' those individuals and groups who use and would seek to use what is actually a peaceful and caring religion to promote their violent, murderous, undemocratic, misogynistic and regressive philosophies, then those are looking for a rationale for such philosophies will continue to hide behind the faith. Such people should have no place to hide, physically, morally or spiritually.
