This is footage of people in the West Bank celebrating the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Both the celebrations and the attacks themselves were condemned by pretty much everyone, including Palestine’s leaders.
There’s a rumour that this was footage from 1991 celebrating the Gulf War, it wasn’t and Snopes has more if you’re interested.
Now, this is footage of people in America following the killing of Osama bin Laden yesterday.
Spot the difference.
We just made a significant move forward in the “war on terror”, but I wonder how many of you posting pleased Facebook statuses and newspaper comments otherwise oppose extra-judicial murder, war, and the death penalty? Osama bin Laden was a twisted human being who made his life’s work the killing of thousands of other people, but he was also a person who was just killed and who left behind four wives and 25 children.
The death of another human being should be a sad event, one that we are regretful had to happen, not a happy one that prompts dancing in the streets. Let’s not forget that.
Update: The Vatican, it turns out, has similar thoughts.