Words to Theresa May and the citizens of Britain

The following is a letter sent to British Prime Minister Theresa May following the recent attack on Westminster Bridge, London.

Dear Ms Theresa May,

I am deeply pained by the horrific act that terrorized London and no doubt shocked everyone in Britain. First of all, please accept my heartfelt condolences and please convey the same to your people. While condemning without reservation this horrific act, my heart goes out to all those who suffered injury, all those who grieve the loss of loved ones and all those who are shocked by the attack. And, as Britain looks for answers to the questions that this attack obviously raises, please be assured of my unstinted support to whatever measures Britain chooses to take in order to be rid of the scourge of terrorism.

As a citizen of a country that successfully defeated a ruthless terrorist organization, indeed the only country that has done this, I assure you that nothing can derail your efforts more than the doctrine of appeasement. This can come in the form of urging you to consider ‘root causes’. It can also come in the form of sustained calls for ‘negotiation’. Negotiation, we learned the painful way, only postpones resolution and in the interim a county suffers death, dismemberment, displacement and destruction. Trust me, Ms May, terrible though this attack has been, what you’ve seen is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg of tragedy.

I am heartened by the bold words you’ve uttered following this attack. It is good to stamp one’s foot and tell the enemy, ‘thou shalt not succeed.’ I have no doubt that your response will not be limited to the bravado of words. Anything less than an all out, no holds barred, effort to defeat terrorism will leave your nation scarred, as much on its corporeal elements as its psyche. It’s no fun when fear is a constant companion.

In the coming days, if things get worse and I hope they don’t, you will no doubt be hounded by bleeding-heart liberals calling for restraint. You can listen to them at your peril. On the other hand, your country enjoys a position of privilege in the political economy of human rights and happily will not have to suffer the insults, knuckle-raps and such as did the leaders of my country when they decided that terrorists are mono-lingual. I need not spell things out to the leader of a nation whose ‘Mother Tongue’ is English.

Ms May, this is a testing hour for your nation and your people. That hour, sadly, often has more than 60 minutes. I sincerely wish it will pass. And until it does, on this particular issue, i.e. of the security of ordinary citizens, I will stand with you.

In solidarity and grief


[Signed] Malinda Seneviratne

Malinda Seneviratne is a likely presidential candidate in 2020.  email: presidentmalinda@gmail.com