The concern for knives now seems to have changed to fear of guns used on the street for 'self-defense'. Fortunately my step-daughter never had to use her knife, and I don't even know that she still carries it with her. But then again, as she now lives in the States, she's probably got a Saturday Night Special amidst the lipsticks in her handbag.

Following the Strathclyde knife amnesty, after which the incidence of stabbings was halved, the English police yesterday introduced an amnesty of their own, in the hope of reducing the most recent wave of fear to walk the streets. But should we really be so frightened of violence? Terrified of death by murder and oblivious to death by motorway?

A relative came for tea not long ago, and while searching for some make-up in her handbag, emptied out its contents to reveal amidst the clutter a camping knife. "For self-defense", she said.

Unlikely, considering that she was four foot ten, and no bookies favourite to win a knife fight - much more likely to cut her fingers while attempting to extricate it from her lipsticks. It was just a comforter in a world where she felt threatened, bravado to mask her fear of a remote possibility.

Street violence is much more likely to affect young men, now as ever in history. Montagu or Capulet, Rangers or Celtic, families, tribes and clans will challenge each other's strength and bravery, and the dangers of the duel will be in proportion to the socially acceptable weaponry. Whether it be a knife, a sword, a six-shooter or an Armalite that's the norm, its use on both sides will be seen as a matter of honour, and spoken of as self defense. But real honour comes from dedicating our courage not to our tribe, but to the service of humanity.

The Makkan society into which the Prophet was born had no system of law enforcement empowered above the tribal groupings. Your chances of justice were largely dependent on the muscle of the family behind you. But in his youth, Muhammad was one of the founders of an order of chivalry, dedicated to justice regardless of clan, a society to defend the powerless against tyranny.

We must always direct young men's courage and energy to a shared wider vision of human justice if we're to walk our streets in safety. Peace and justice are necessary to take away the fear, here in Britain just as in Bosnia. It may take a while, but let's hope that we achieve it, here as well as there. Peace and goodwill to all mankind is surely worth serious commitment in more than just one season of the year.