July 7 bombs were a 'demo' not terrorism, claims professor

[ECH1969]

The London bombings were not acts of terrorism but "a demonstration", according to a senior academic.

Prof Ron Geaves has sparked controversy by claiming that the attacks on Tube trains and a bus that killed 52 innocent people in July were part of a long history of protests by British Muslims.

He also said that to refer to the attacks as terrorism risked "demonising" those involved.

His comments were made as he prepared to give a lecture at the University of Chester to dignitaries and members of the Muslim community in the North West.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/04/09/nterr09.xml

[Terran1212]

1. Before judging him I want a larger context and full story...

We never get these things in the media, but they are truly needed.

[daleo]

8. And the Telegraph is well known for misleading stories and propaganda n/t

[fedsron2us]

9. None of the British media is free from that charge

not even the Guardian or its sister paper the Observer which is beloved of so many on DU. Before anyone is tempted to leak any incriminating information about the British government to these esteemed liberal newspapers they might care to Google the name of Sarah Tisdall to see how valiantly they have defended their sources in the past.

[daleo]

10. Granted, pretty well all media have an angle or get played by the gov't

But the Telegraph is just incredibly blatant about it, to my mind. I think of it as the Tell-a-lie.

[walkon]

2. Terrorism or Demonstrating

That's a semantic argument. This bombing was not Al Qaeda meant to "punish" but part of a continuing skirmish inside Great Britain. I think that is important.

[Just Me]

3. Once a protest/demonstration involves violence against innocents,...

,...it is no longer a protest or demonstration. It becomes something else. How to put that into context of human history is difficult since our own history involved horrendous violence in the struggle for equality,...it also involved an insistence upon non-violent stands (with terribly violent repercussions).

However, reading this article,...I cannot agree with this man's characterization of such activities as mere "demonstrations".

[BooScout]

4. He follows the faith of Prem Rawat....

...and apparently has stirred up controversy before over some of his scholarly articles/writings. He appears to be a relgious scholar.........don't know much about Prem Rawat but it seems a bit 'cultish' from what I have read.

[alfredo]

5. It is Remember Maharaj Ji? I have a story about him and his

followers. When he visited Detroit some activist unimpressed with his "teachings" and his fleecing his flock showed up at a ceremony where he got the key to the city. My housemate took a bouquet of flowers which hide a cream pie. Well my roomie got him good.

One of the Maharij Ji inner circle found my friend, came up to him and said he forgives him for what he did, and wanted to show him that their technique was not a fraud. My roomie wasn't the brightest bulb in the box, agreed. They went to his room and the guy told him to sit, close his eyes and relax. When he did that the guy picked up a hammer and fractured my roomies skull. He spent 6 hours in surgery, got a metal plate in his skull and lost some mental ability. So much for enlightenment.

Prem Rawat was called the "Divine Light Mission" back then.

He was called the 14 year old perfect master. Of course we called him the 14 year old perfect bastard.

I also remember the Guru was presented 10 non negotiable demands, one of which was to repeal the law of gravity.

[fedsron2us]

6. How about the term murder ?

The victims of the July 7th bombings were hardly a cross section of the British ruling elite. Many were from ethnic minority groups and some were Muslims. As a 'demonstration' designed to change the course of government policy it was singularly unsuccessful. Maybe the good professor can hold courses so that his students can actually identify who runs Britain.

[Just Me]

7. Yes. Murdering innocents can hardly be coined as "demonstration".

It makes me wonder why,...innocents would EVER be a target by those who seek change. There is no power behind that, ever.

:shrug: i don't know the minds of the operators,...and would just