Tragedy in Peshawar

Asylum – 8th instalment of my seriali... Asylum – 9th instalment of my seriali...

Tragedy in Peshawar

Pakistan and so many children slain. What a terrible terrible sadness.

Maybe there should be a second spot in Martin Place for the flowers for these children. Seventy times as many flowers please, for there are 141 gone. If we were to see such a thing, then we would know we have risen above an ingrained nationalism, reached beyond our borders, expressed a true humanitarian empathy. We would have far extended the principle of #iwillridewithyou It would be a remarkable expression of unity.

Meanwhile, I was intrigued to hear the comments of the ”expert” on the telly of the causes of the tragedy in Pakistan and possible solutions to the ongoing violence. She didn’t say what I will say in my letter here.

Dear America,

You have created yet another bloody mess, you and your bestie Saudi Arabia. Back in the 1970s, as Saudi exported Wahhabism to Pakistan, to the madrassas, radicalising the young and the poor who had fled Afghanistan, you trained the mujahideen in order to fight the Russian foe. And so together you created the Taliban. Together you fanned the flames of fundamentalism.

And it is you who have nurtured the formation of Islamic State.

You are the ones who know exactly how to turn psychologically vulnerable types into unhinged killers.

And I do not doubt that you have exported this expertise to your little brother Australia. And now we too find ourselves at the mercy of unhinged killers.

Gee, thanks!