Rising East Online

Multiculturalism and the ‘war on terror’

Terror in Little Italy

—Steven Lambert

On what field of battle is the ‘war on terror’ being fought? In my experience, the battlefield stretches to the lavish interior of the Italian embassy in London. In March I went there to attend a meeting of Young Fabians to discuss the ‘war on terror’.

For those not in the know, the Fabians are a centre-left think tank which invites young Labour Party members and guests to attend events at various foreign embassies. Fabian vice-president Conor McGinn tells me that the idea ‘is to allow young people, mostly Fabians and left thinkers, to go beyond the grind of daily politics, and embrace the challenges and opportunities faced by governments in other countries.’

Approaching the impressive oak doors of No 4 Grosvenor Square, London SW1, I can’t help feeling a little apprehensive and self-conscious. This is the first time I have ever set foot in an embassy, and photo ID is required. Having tried and failed to locate my passport, I’m hoping my provisional driver’s license (never used) and a slightly tatty student card, will suffice.

A quick press of the buzzer, and a burly security guard, dressed head-to-toe in red, eyes me suspiciously. I mumble my intentions and he opens the door wide while remaining stony silent. But I don’t care what he thinks of me; I’m in.

The thing that strikes me initially is the slightly decadent splendour of the place. All decked out in polished wood and marble, even the reception hall of the Italian Embassy is visually dazzling. Equally dazzling, give these times, this place, and the subject for discussion, is the distinct lack of security equipment on show. I would have expected all kinds of checks and searches before being allowed to set foot on what is legally foreign soil. True to form, the American Embassy on the opposite side of the square, even has armed police patrolling outside. But here, in a small corner of London which is forever Italy, many guests, having declined to put their coats in the cloakroom, merely flash their ID and walk leisurely out of sight of the security guard, clutching all kinds of bags and holdalls that might easily contain an explosive device. I find this quite extraordinary and not a little ironic, considering what we are here to discuss.

Getting past my feelings of unease, I am ushered up a sweeping staircase into an even grander room. Here, the opulence is almost overwhelming. A huge, crystal chandelier hangs from the high ceiling, twinkling softly with electric light. There are priceless pieces of art on the walls, and even the floorboards creak with ancient lineage.

The sense of grandeur is somewhat reduced by the speaker box positioned clumsily at the back of the room, where our panel for the evening is seated. These are, from left to right, Giovanni Brauzzi, Deputy Head of Mission, Italian Embassy; Bill Durodie, Security and Terrorism expert, Chatham House; and Alessio Altichieri, former London correspondent, Corriere della Serra.

Brauzzi begins, speaking slowly and steadily into the microphone. ‘Terrorism is not new,’ he informs us, before describing the shocking terrorist actions that devastated his native Italy from 1969 to 1978. ‘The lessons we learned from these attacks is that we were willing and able to stay together as a nation.’ Globalisation and religion must be addressed if terrorism is to be defeated: ‘These issues cannot be dealt with on a national level anymore. Globalisation has broken down our borders, and we must now deal with this threat on a multinational level.’

‘The U.N is not enough,’ continues Brauzzi. ‘We must create comprehensive, long-term security measures that will “fight crime and the causes of crime”, as Tony Blair once said. As for religion, we must come to straight, simple conclusions. Islam is not the enemy, fanaticism is, but through religion we see the best and worst of human attitudes. A common understanding of Church and State is needed, and we must conduct a soul search for our values at this time.’

Next up is Bill Durodie, a trenchant academic. Wheeling his points with machine gun intensity, he is a striking contrast to the steady and controlled Brauzzi. He is also not afraid of the controversial, as his impassioned argument points the finger of blame squarely at our own feet:

‘We live in a post political age. Terrorism is the end, lashing out at a society we don’t like. We do not even trust our own politicians and, so we are the ones who erode the sovereign states. Hating ourselves emerges from our society. We need to understand why so many Asians and non-Asians do not take a lead within our society. I believe that our society is bereft of structure and meaning, so these people look elsewhere for sustenance. You don’t need to leave King’s College to be anti-Western.’

Altichieri is our last speaker of the night. Like his countryman Brauzzi, he also believes it is ‘misleading’ to treat terrorism as a new phenomenon. He highlights the recent shooting of Charles de Menezes, the 27-year-old wrongly taken for a terrorist, as the result of the ‘rhetorical tool used by Blair and Bush to mobilise hearts and minds.’ Altichieri continues: ‘The first time this shoot-to-kill policy is used, it did not work, and it is the duty of the free press in the U.K to report on these politics of fear.’

The question of the infamous Danish cartoons is raised from the floor. Durodie is quick off the mark: ‘the treatment of these cartoons by Muslim extremists and the media is like that of petulant children. Freedom of speech is to be used for something other than sticking tongues out at each other.’ Altichieri agrees, but insists that ‘no muzzles should be put on the media, even if the act was irresponsible, as it is part of our culture to make provocations.’

Brauzzi draws proceedings to a close: ‘What I have hoped to have brought to you is my own painful experiences of terrorism and what the Italian nation learned from such events. My message to you is to not be afraid, and to follow the values of tolerance and friendship.’

With that the discussion is over. A smattering of applause is quickly followed by the announcement that refreshments are served in the adjoining room. I make my excuses and leave, bidding goodbye to the muted red guard on my way out.

Reflecting on the event on my way back to Marble Arch tube station, it is Brauzzi’s words that have left the deepest impression on me. After the complexities of the discussion, the simple values of tolerance and friendship are the things I feel the people of Britain can aspire to in this age of terrorism.

Steven Lambert is studying journalism.

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