Pakistan mourns as Lahore bombing toll rises to 31

[maddezmom]

Source: BBC

A three-day period of mourning has begun in Pakistan after bomb attacks on a Shia Muslim procession in Lahore city killed 31 people on Wednesday.

At least 170 people were injured when three bombs exploded targeting the procession. At least two of the attacks were suicide bombings, police said.

The Pakistani Taliban said it carried out the attacks in revenge for the killing of a Sunni leader last year.

Lahore has been the scene of sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shias.


Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11161486

[Turborama]

1. Pakistan militants kill 35 despite floods

BABAR DOGAR

AP foreign, Thursday September 2 2010

Associated Press Writer= LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — The triple bombing of a religious procession in Pakistan adds to the strains on a government already struggling with devastating floods and shows that Islamist militants are back in business despite the natural disaster.

The death toll in the blasts rose to 35 on Thursday, with about 250 injured, government official Sajjad Bhutta said. The bombs late Wednesday ripped through a Shiite Muslim street procession in the sprawling city of Lahore, which has been frequently targeted by Sunni extremists over the last two years, often in coordinated attacks on religious minorities.

Sunni extremists have launched dozens of attacks against Shiites and other Islamic sects and religions in Pakistan in recent years. The extremists believe it is permissible — even honorable — to kill members of other faiths. Allied with al-Qaida and the Taliban, the militants are also seeking to destabilize Pakistan's U.S.-backed government through such attacks. They have created sanctuaries in the rugged northwest close to the Afghan border where they plan and train.

The bombings were the first major attack in Pakistan since floods ripped through much of the country more than a month ago, leaving more than 8 million people in need of emergency assistance and prompting a major international relief effort that is still ongoing. "While the whole nation is distressed with the sufferings of flood affectees, these terrorists are involved in promoting their own agenda," Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said in a statement condemning the blasts.

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/9246926

[cosmicone]

4. Creation of Pakistan was one of the stupidest ideas of

the Brits.

Pakistan proves it every day, day after day.
After the partition, Pakistan had >7 million Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs and Christians. Jinnah had promised them protection but as Pakistan became radicalized and weaponized, only a handful of minorities now remain, mostly slaughtered or exiled.

On the other hand, minorities thrive in India, including muslims. India has had two muslim presidents even.

Thus, the so called "muslim sanctuary" has become hell and a nightmare for the world.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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[cosmicone]

6. Let me respectfully submit to you a viewpoint....

1. Prior to partition, muslims comprised 40% of South Asia's population.
2. Creation of Pakistan and subsequent independence of Bangladesh divided the muslim population into three blocks of approximately 165 million in what is now Pakistan, 194 million in India and 173 million in Bangladesh respectively.
3. This, in effect, diluted the power that muslims could have had in a democratic and secular unified country.
4. This also created a religion-based bigotry that didn't exist as much prior to the partition.
5. Muslims in India enjoy a much more liberal atmosphere than muslims in Pakistan. Indians are actually proud of the muslim contributions to their culture and nation and muslim women in India enjoy equal status as evidenced by many female muslim MPs and ministers. They are also free to dress as they please and get educated as they please.
6. India, being secular, gives special protections to the minority muslims including affirmative action like programs.
7. Many muslims are in the list of India's richest people. Many of India's popular movie stars have been muslim. India has had two muslim presidents and several muslim ministers. Such opportunities don't exist for minorities in Pakistan.
8. Bangladesh, after separation from Pakistan, has taken a different path of peaceful cooperation with India resulting in trade, investments and joint projects that benefit the population of both countries.
9. As a result of the partition, both India and Pakistan have spent large sums of money on the military and fought four utterly stupid wars. All that money could have gone into development and improving the lives of ordinary people.

Thus, creation of Pakistan was not a wise idea. It only helped the superpowers by pitting one against the other and sell weapons.

I have nothing against muslims or Pakistanis. I have visited Pakistan many times and enjoyed great hospitality.

What I am against is radicalized terrorists trained in Pakistan by ISI outfits committing acts of terror in India.

Lastly, I have donated funds to the Pakistani flood victims myself (via two NGOs) and I truly feel sorry for them. I have never been against aid to the flood victims - I only desire accountability so that the funds are not diverted to military use.

[Name removed]

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[OhioChick]

11. "Many of the Pakistanis in USA call themselves "Indians" now.."

Can't say that I've witnessed that.

[ChromeFoundry]

7. stupidest ideas?

I should've known it was you.

:eyes:

[varun]

8. Is that all you have to say?

Cosmicone did write some points worth pondering over. And you just dismissed them.

[Turborama]

14. What's it got to do with you, anyway?

ChromeFoundry can write whatever they want in reply to Cosmicone, as long as it stays within the rules.

[Posteritatis]

16. I'd guess his obsessive, constant and hyperbolic hatred of Pakistan is beginning to annoy folks (nt)

[OhioChick]

17. +1,000,0000 n/t

[ChromeFoundry]

20. And what do you have to say?

I've written endless posts in objection to CosmiCone's hate filled drivel. He's dismissed everything from everyone that has ever objected to his point of view. Sure Pakistan has some problems... India has a lot as well.

Oh and by the way... Who the F are you to question a response I have for another member, unless of course, you mirror his same hatred for all humanity that falls outside the castes of India.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

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[Turborama]

3. At the time of India's independence a "partition" was made and Pakistan was created

as a Muslim nation.

A country was created in the 1940s as a sanctuary for one type of religion.

Sound familiar?

[Lightning Count]

10. When was the last Hasidic Jew bombing against the non-Hasidic Jews? nt

[cosmicone]

12. But ... hasidic jews don't belong to a culture of peace

:sarcasm:

[Turborama]

13. Even though I wasn't talking to you, you missed my point entirely. n/t

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

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[Turborama]

18. Meanwhile: Lahore blasts toll rises to 37

My heart goes out to all those who have lost loved ones...

Lahore blasts toll rises to 37, Shias mourn

Thousands of Shia Muslims on Thursday took out a procession to mourn the victims of the triple bombings that rocked Lahore on Wednesday, even as the death toll from the brazen attacks rose to 37. Provincial authorities on Thursday announced that the paramilitary Pakistan Rangers will remain deployed in Lahore till September 15 to maintain law and order. Prominent Shia leader Allama Abbas Kamali, the head of the Jafriya Alliance, announced a three-day period of mourning. All courts and major markets remained closed to protest the death of innocent people.

US offers $5 mn for Taliban heads Mehsud, Rehman

The US has offered rewards of up to $5 million each for information on location of top two leaders of Tehreek-e-Taliban Hakimullah Mehsud and Wali Ur Rehman. The announcement came soon after the group was declared as foreign terrorist outfit by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “Under their direction, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan launched a suicide bombing at a US military base in Afghanistan, attacked the US Consulate in Peshawar, and planned the failed bombing in Times Square,” said Robert Hartung, of the Threat Investigations and Analysis Directorate in Bureau of Diplomatic Security.

From: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Pak-Scan/676554

Much more details on the last part of that article: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4525979">U.S. offers $5 million reward for Pakistani Taliban leaders

[Name removed]

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