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Britain remembers victims

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON SEPT. 11. Normal life in Britain came to a halt on Wednesday afternoon as people across the country suspended work to observe a minute's silence to commemorate the first anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks on America.

Fear, anxiety and flashes of anger, as reflected in some newspaper headlines, dominated the mood — the only controversial note being struck by a group of Muslim extremists who held a meeting, which, even as it condemned acts of terrorism, urged America to learn a "lesson in humility". A leading British artist Damien Hirst, famous for his "shock" tactics, caused some embarrassment to the BBC by referring to the September 11 events in a way that some found "offensive".

Exactly at 1.46 p.m. local time, when the first of the twin towers of the World Trade Centre was hit a year ago this day, trains on the London Underground stopped in their tracks, motorists pulled over on the side and airwaves fell silent — an action repeated two hours later to mark the collapse of the second tower. The Prime Minister, Tony Blair and the royal family joined the families of British victims of the tragedy at a special service at St Paul's Cathedral, one of the many held throughout the country. Some 3,000 rose petals were scattered from St Paul's domes, and leaders of Jewish, Hindu and Muslim communities lit candles in a solemn cross-denominational tribute to those who died in the attacks.

In a message, the queen condemned the "dreadful attacks" of September 11 as a threat to freedom and democratic values and praised the "strength'' of the victims' families in coping with their loss. She also commended the efforts to fight terrorism and, in a special tribute to New Yorkers, she said their support for the British victims of the "infamous tragedy" had given "practical expression to the true, deep and lasting friendship between our two countries."

The U.S. Embassy in London, enveloped in high security, remained the focus of anxious attention with tourists stopping by to stare at it.

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