Shocking as the Manchester Arena attack last night was, targeting an Ariana Grande pop concert that many children were attending, it should not be surprising. We cannot afford for it to be so to understand what is happening globally.
The terrorist jihadist mindset has no issue with massacring children in a school or explosives in a park. Nor boarding a schoolbus to put a bullet in the head of a girl that wants an education, and had blogged about how ridiculous Islamic extremists are about veiling women and children. That is just using Pakistan. More from across the world could be mentioned.
22 are dead and 59 injured in the Manchester attack. Many are children. We might think standing together is a weak cliche response. Yet opening your doors to people left stranded after such an attack is standing together. Taxis giving free fares is standing together. Queuing to give blood so supplies do not run out is just that - standing together
It is what makes the Mancunian heroes and the terrorists losers. They have to to get attention for their ideas by killing weak and innocent children. They think they can intimidate and threaten us not to question their extremist Islamic fascist ideology, nor challenge them on the battle field. That the cost will be so much to bear, we will not show our solidarity with other mothers around the world who grieve for their children taken by jihadists.
They have to be wrong that we will stand aside and let them take over how we think and act. They want to separate Muslims from non Muslims, to create enmity. Thinking of the grieving mothers of Pakistan, Nigeria and so many others, that is never going to happen. For in suffering and pain there is a bond that unites humanity in grief.
Today is a time to grieve and give what support we can. Whilst the usual suspects will use this to further an agenda of hatred and division because it sells and gets publicity, we cannot ignore the need to tackle the indoctrination and hatred which fundamentalism fuels.
Our anger must be used to ensure the losers do not win, let alone get what they want.