Last month, the security agencies thwarted the latest in a series of attempts by terrorists to attack and maim the structure of this country. It seems that every time we hold our breath, we hear of yet another audacious plan to inflict casualties on the civilian population in the United Kingdom, being prevented by the authorities in the nick of time. We live in the awareness that further attacks are inevitable, because the chances of intercepting each and every terrorist plot is virtually impossible.

One of the most disturbing aspect of the recent trend has been the preponderance of British born' home grown terrorists' living, working and playing alongside the general population in apparent anonymity. The presence of white converts to Islam, in some of these plots has further muddied the waters and created apparent confusion in the police and their ability to prevent such atrocities on the UK mainland.

How does this impact us here in the United Kingdom as Hindus hailing predominantly from the Indian subcontinent?

The majority of the Hindu community still resides in recognisable enclaves such as Southall, Leicester, Wembley etc. Hailing from the same regions and often speaking the same languages and even with the same surnames are the Muslim communities, many of whom also hail from the subcontinent. Both communities are interlinked in many aspects despite growing estrangements and ideological conflicts.

The media has talked recently about the need to 'profile' passengers on planes, entrants to jobs and in other public spheres. The profiling would apply primarily to those from the Indian subcontinent. Many commentators, although aware of the ideological and religious differences between the Hindu and Muslim communities, said that there is no other option but to profile all South Asians to reduce the likelihood of terrorist attacks. The question arises: how should we respond?

A section of the Hindu community has rushed to emphasise our differences with the Muslims in order to raise awareness amongst the English public. On the other hand, some Hindus have decried racial profiling, claiming that it is racist both in principle and practice, saying that it will give legitimacy to racist elements in the country. Right wing groups like the British National Party have been seen to attempt to ride into the divide to promote their hate agenda, evidenced by a prominent Sikh 'poster-boy' who appears in BNP propaganda material.

The answer as always appears to lie somewhere in the middle. We must step carefully so as not to become the stooges of racist elements which may eventually lead to a backlash from an infuriated population. The handful of Hindus and Sikhs who are openly prepared to play footsy with the BNP are playing a dangerous game.

An emphasis and projection of Hindu beliefs can guide us through these difficult times into a more positive future. We need to prove and validate Hindu solutions to living together in harmony whilst being able to accept and even celebrate our differences. This is the true Hindu spirit of the ancient world, which allowed people belonging to a myriad of faith systems and racial groups to live in an integrated and harmonious society.

In this way, the Hindu community can become pivotal in bringing sanity to an age where the clash of civilisation thesis of Samuel Huntingdon appears to becoming more of a reality each passing day.