The fight against terrorism is no longer something that happens 鈥渙ver there.鈥� The shootings on Parliament Hill Wednesday, following attacks on two soldiers in Quebec on Monday, bring home the reality that the battleground is wherever terrorists are, including here in sa国际传媒.
A man shot and fatally wounded a sentry at the National War Memorial in Ottawa Wednesday morning, then ran into the Parliament buildings. More shots were fired inside the Centre Block, resulting in the gunman鈥檚 death. In the chaos that followed, police were acting on the premise that more than one assailant was involved.
The Ottawa shootings occurred as Canadians were still pondering the ramifications of the attack on two soldiers in Quebec two days before.
Martin Couture-Rouleau, whom police described as a 鈥渞adicalized鈥� convert to Islam, deliberately drove his car into two soldiers in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, on Monday. One of the soldiers, Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, 53, died and Couture-Rouleau was fatally shot by police after a car chase.
While one witness said he thought the Ottawa gunman was wearing a scarf with something that looked like Arabic markings, it鈥檚 too early to say if the two violent incidents are directly linked.
But one connection is undeniable. Both attacks were directed at members of the military. Both attacks are an assault on sa国际传媒. Our country is known as a peaceful place 鈥� we can no longer take that peace for granted.
It is often said of incidents such as this that if we change how we live in response to the attacks, then the terrorists win. That鈥檚 nonsense. Common sense dictates that we change how we do things, that we acknowledge realities and act appropriately. We pride ourselves on living in a safe neighbourhood where we can leave the doors unlocked. Now the burglars have arrived 鈥� the sensible thing to do is lock our doors at night.
What all terrorists seek to accomplish 鈥� the weakening and destabilizing of those they see as enemies 鈥� will not happen. They seek to sow chaos and disunity; their actions do the opposite. Such attacks serve to bring people together. When times are easy, we tend to bicker among ourselves; when the nation is attacked, we set aside petty political differences and come together for the national good.
Inevitably, some will comment that the attacks are connected to sa国际传媒鈥檚 decision to participate in the fight against Islamic extremists in Syria, that we should be using diplomacy, not force. But the twisted mentality that justifies the atrocities in that region is not amenable to negotiation, not interested in peace or accommodation. Sometimes, the only answer to force is force.
Inevitably, some will wrongly comment that Islam perpetuates the evil that has beset us. Sadly, that attitude might manifest itself in hostility against Muslims in sa国际传媒. That should not be tolerated. To blame all Muslims for this week鈥檚 attacks makes about as much sense as blaming all French-Canadians for the vehicular attack on the two soldiers.
While the Parliament Hill shootings are nowhere near the scale of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the similarities are unavoidable. Things will be different from now on. Among measures likely to be taken will be tightened security at many places, including military installations here in Greater Victoria.
Visitors from other countries have wondered at the ease with which visitors can enter the Parliament buildings, undergoing only the type of scrutiny encountered when boarding an airplane. The front door of Parliament is often left unlocked. It is symbolic of the peace and security we have hitherto enjoyed.
But crime has come to the neighbourhood 鈥� we have to lock our doors now.
