Close to home

Having spent a night at The Grand Hyatt Hotel, Amman in January, it is all too easy to imagine the carnage of last night. But, as John Tulloch eloquently proves in today's Guardian, even when terrorism is this close to home we do not need to lose our principles out of fear. Of course security is important, but why avoid physical harm by having a triple-locked door and armed guards when you can create the conditions to safely leave your door unlocked?
One reason why I can leave my door unlocked and do not feel afraid walking the streets of Brussels, even in the poorer quarters is that, for all the racism and unemployment that effect the lives of kids of Turkish or African descent, it is a much better integrated city than those of France, for instance. Although there have been a small number of arson attacks this week, imitating the genuine and deep-rooted rage of the French rioters, Brussels is a city where the different classes, races and religions often do rub shoulders. Not that you would believe that reading the latest crock from the Vlaams Belang, which is using a couple of cars been burned out by some restless teenagers as a reason to call for the stripping of Belgian nationality from anyone involved in such violence who was not born in the country. Apart from the fact that the fascists are pouring petrol on the flames once again, it is ironic that the head of an organisation that supports the secession of Flanders from the Belgian state should be such a champion of the Belgian national identity (!)