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Families of terror victims warn pupils of extremism
Benedict Moore-Bridger10.02.09
The daughter of a woman killed in the 9/11 attacks and the partner of a victim of the 7 July bombings have warned children in London against the dangers of extremism.
Carie Lemack, whose mother Judy Larocque was killed when her American Airlines plane hit the World Trade Center in 2001, is visiting the capital as part of her campaign to stop similar attacks from happening.
The 33-year-old was joined by John Falding, whose partner Anat Rosenberg was killed in the 7/7 Tavistock Square bus bombing. The pair are supporting a Home Office scheme to improve relations between communities and challenge misconceptions about Islam, by discussing the effects the attacks have had on society.
Ms Lemack encouraged pupils at Kings Avenue Primary School in Clapham to think about their heroes, hopes for the future and happy memories to explain how racial and religious differences should be no barrier to cohesion.
Mr Falding, who was on the phone to his 39-year-old partner when the London bomb exploded, told how the terrorists had failed in their objectives.
The retired journalist, 65, said: "There are differences like religions, but does it matter? We are all following different paths to the same end.
"Anat's death and the death of the other people have not changed anything. It did not make the world a better place or a worse place. So she died in vain just because some people have a strange view of their religion and the way the world should be."
Mr Falding, of Marylebone, explained how charity administrator Anat had left her home country of Israel to move to London - she lived in Finchley Park - in order to escape the threat of bus bombings.
He said: "Tragically she was killed in London by a bomb on a bus."
Ms Lemack said she was lucky as she could honour her mother every day. She said: "My aim is to stop violence, stop extremism from being able to take root.
"Projects like this show that communities want to acknowledge there is a threat and that communities can handle it if they are engaged."
Her 50-year-old mother, from Massachusetts, worked as a management consultant. Ms Lemack - who lives in New York and Boston - and her sister Danielle, had to tell their mother's colleagues of her death.
Ms Lemack, who co-founded Family of September 11, which works to prevent future attacks, said: "A lot of things in the world get people angry. The question is how do you deal with it? Get violent? No, you speak out. The only way is to get communities involved." Pupil Britney Noble, nine, said: "It's the first time I heard about it, and it was very interesting. I felt sad for the people who died for no reason. People should stop and think about what they are doing."
Ms Lemack also visited the Lilian Baylis School in Kennington.
Reader views (3)
The real problem with extremism is perfectly shown in this London school, which I failed to see a white face in this photo apart from Mrs Lemack. Extreme is the immigration levels that have flooded schools and neighbourhoods with millions of people from countries that faiths are not compatible with Christianity. America's immigration policy does exactly the opposite and it is high time we followed their example. Their are now many immigrant communities in Britain that has isolated themselves from society and THIS is where extremism lies....
- Nick Nack Paddy Mac, Kilburn, London UK
What a wonderful intiative - this face to face meeting and discussion with young people will go a long way towards building tolerance and understanding.
- Derek, London
What an excellent and constructive idea: it's just the kind of thing that makes a big impression on children - it's important to get messages of social responsibility across to them at an early age.
- Roz, Chamonix, France
