[lostalex]

Originally Posted by Zee

You have to understand that the men who murdered Lee Rigby did so because of their strong beliefs. Britain has meddled in many different countries, the military being the primary source for Britain to get involved in other countries' affairs. As British people, it's very easy to forget that there are troops fighting wars and keeping peace in other countries because we do not feel the threat of war. When we experience isolated incidents like this, we're all outraged, but imagine what that must feel like if you live in a country where things like this happen every day; it must be very easy to believe that it is the fault of the British, the Americans, the West, whether rightly or wrongly, and so I don't think it's surprising that there are reprisals such as this one in this country. What they did to Lee Rigby was barbaric and wrong, but to their minds, what British troops are doing is barbaric and wrong. People have very reactionary responses to things like this and people become blind to the reasons behind why their 'enemy' did certain things...

All of those reasons you are citing could also be applicable to the EDL. If it's understandable for a muslim to blame the west for all of the problems in their countries, then it's just as understandable for the EDL to blame muslims for all of the problems they have caused historically to westerners/christians/jews/homosexuals/women.

The difference is the EDL isn't cutting people's heads off, or setting bombs off in marketplaces or at marathons.