Is Shepherd's Bush a Terrorist Target?

Westfield in Shepherd's Bush - targeted by Al Shabab?. Photo: Wikipedia

Should we be worried in the Bush?  The Westfield shopping centre has apparently been named by terrorist group al-Shabab as a potential target.  In a 76-minute video, a man claiming to be from the Al-Qaeda linked terror group says that Oxford Street should be targeted as well as “any of the 100 or so Jewish-owned Westfield shopping centres dotted around the Western world”.

Westgate mall in Kenya under attack in 2013. Photo: Wikipedia

Depressingly, this would-be jihadi speaks with a British accent, further evidence of the apparently plentiful supply of Brits who find this sort of religious extremism more appealing than a comfortable life at home.

Al Shabab is not to dismissed lightly - it was they who organised and executed the 2013 attack on the Westgate mall in Kenya, scene of horrifying killings.

Al Shabab war flag

But why Westfield? Apparently it is because Westfield is "Jewish owned", as if this were a justification in itself for a terrorist outrage.  But then, the attacks on Charlie Hebdo were soon followed up by an attack on a Jewish supermarket, as if innocent shoppers buying chicken soup were somehow to blame - for what? Israeli foreign policy?

So should we be worried?  Certainly, this weekend, Westfield seems as busy as ever. And I found myself eyeing my fellow shoppers with a keener eye than usual. But then, if Westfield is indeed a target, there probably isn't much that any of us can do to stop an attack.

---Alex
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The Bush Telegraph offers a personal view on life in Shepherd's Bush. Read about the Campaign to Save Hammersmith Park, find out about our new Farmer's Market, see what's on at The Bush Theatre,  find out the latest news on the future of Shepherd's Bush Market,  and the Council's plans to upgrade the Goldhawk Road and the Uxbridge Road. If you would like to contribute a story about our neighbourhood, email us at shepherdsbushblog@gmail.com.