Attacks show an ever-widening cultural gap

EVEN at the darkest moments of the terror campaigns that scarred these islands, and there were far too many, the hope that protagonists might come to their senses — as they eventually did — always existed.

Divided by fear, bigotry, and hate, they at least spoke a common language, shared a version of the same culture and religion and were, though they would certainly deny it, essentially the same people. No such sliver of comfort is available when considering the most extreme, intolerant, and violent Islam seen to such devastating and murderous effect around the world yesterday.

Though scores were murdered for no reason other than the simple, unavoidable fact that they were not fundamental Muslims, the image of a French factory worker being decapitated and his head pinned to a fence is so savage, so utterly barbaric, that the act symbolises what seems an unbridgeable cultural chasm.