Deaths Mount in Islamabad Blast as Suicide Bombers Target Lawyers Rally in Pakistan Capital

103 responses to “Deaths Mount in Islamabad Blast as Suicide Bombers Target Lawyers Rally in Pakistan Capital”

1. Fatima says:

   July 20, 2007 at 11:53 am

   Mazhar Butt,
   911 was completely different and you can’t even compare that to the suicide bombings of today. It was planned and carried out by educated men and the suicide bombings are not planned in such great detail and have become fairly common these days. What I’m trying to explain here is the same concept as “religion is the opium of the people”. These people do suffer from poverty and yes they’re not entirely happy with their lives but I think that madrassahs or the clergy (or some leader of some clan in the villages) are propagating this idea that suicide bombings are Islamic and if you die in the name of your religion you are a martyr and that gets you into heaven (one reason several bombers say allah o akbar while bombing people–so unfortunate). What these people forgot to tell these young kids is that if you kill several innocent people along with yourself you’re probably going straight to hell.

   Adnan,
   No you do not have the right to defend your Mohalla by killing 40 other people with you. How can you justify violence like that? If we continue to do that, then the next time someone from your mohalla upsets someone from other mohalla the other mohall supposedly has the right to blow your mohalla up? We’d just end up blowing each other up. Seriously guys, there is a better (and more civilized way) to do this. Who have protests, and walks, you write in the papers, you appeal to the public to support you and you appeal to the law (my confidence in the Pakistani judiciary has increased several fold in the light of recent events: the reinstatement of Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudry). But since when did violence become the answer?

2. mazhar butt says:

   July 20, 2007 at 8:36 am

   How could you convince any one even a 13 year kid that committing suicide will fetch him paradise? Who has seen paradise? this is a mere assumption which was used as a tool during the crusades by the Christian clergy. Life is precious to all, even a 13 year old kid. So, there is more than that which instigates a suicide bomber to blow himself off. In psychological terms suicide is the height of desperation and the ultimate result of hopelessness or depression. I don’t think the suicide bombers are depressed. they volunteer to blow themselves off and kill others as a show of protest. Afterall , what else a weaker victim could do? Education is not the deciding factor: all those whose brought about the 9/11 tragedy were highly educated men, professionals. I think the conduct of suicide bombers is the last resort he opts for against oppression. Hence, the best policy would be: not to poke your nose into someone elses business !

3. Adnan Siddiqi says:

   July 20, 2007 at 12:57 am

   @fatima:
   I disagree with Umar’s point of view tht they have always been around. This is something which I used to hear on FOX,CNN etc.

   Fatima I ask you something, people in my area have been living peacefully along with people of other mohalla. If someone from other mohalla becomes a macho man and start hurting people of my area so if people of my mohalla react then would they be called “Terrorist”? I along with others have rigt to defend my mohalla people. Do remember that todays terrorists are eysterdays mojahid. The recent wave of violence is nothing bue to gov’s dishonest move that they violated peace treaty first and then installed security forces and all was done because Uncle sam was not happy with treaty. People in FATA and associated areas never accepted the rulership of outsiders over them and no invader sustained a long time in that area. Current condition of NATO forces is the example of that they failed to rule over them too.

4. Fatima says:

   July 19, 2007 at 7:16 pm

   Okay I have to disagree. Religion is something for which anyone can give up anything. As Muslims we sacrifice our wealth, our happiness and a lot of other things for God. These people are uneducated. If someone says to them that you need to sacrifice your life for Islam and that is what will get you into heaven they probably believe them. Its not because they are aggrieved its because they know no better. There no trauma or mental agony. Some of these kids are as young as 13. You think they feel strongly about these things? Of course not. For them suicide bombing is a sure way to heaven and who doesn’t want that. That’s all there is to it. Frankly I think religion has been abused to death. It has been used to manipulate people who do not know any better and its unfortunate. If they were educated even about our own religion they would know that Islam is completely against suicide bombings and they wouldn’t think that that’s what gets them to heaven.
   That said, there is a much bigger problem that we have to worry about: American power and influence and their possible invasion. It haunts me everyday that America would suddenly make it their business to get the al-Qaeda out of Pakistan and use that as an excuse to invade Pakistan. We’ll just be another Iraq, where American soldiers torture innocent civilians while the American Government continues to use up the country’s resources. That I feel is a more imminent threat and the question is: what do we do about it?

5. mazhar butt says:

   July 19, 2007 at 5:33 pm

   Akif,,,,,,tell me which third world country is not funded by petrodollars? Death is death whether it’s suicide or suicide bombing. The only difference is that one comes in solitude while the other comes with a bang. Now, have you ever thought why people commit suicide bombings? No one is mad enough to give u his life for trifles. Then there sure is something , something most unbearable and frustrating which makes one decide to take away his own life with revenge on others. I say unless the grievances of the suicide bombers are not redressed there’s going to be no peace in the world. Suicide bombing is the last resort which a weaker enemy launches against his powerful enemies. Suicide bombing is not typical of muslims to be ashamed of ,,,,,the Japanese, the Tamils, the Buddhists etc have been practicing it since centuries as a part of their religious and national duty. If you don’t like the creed of the suicide bombers or theso called fundamentalist you should also not expect them to yield to your way of thinking or rationale. You don’t seem to have passed through any mental trauma to realize the problem of the agrieved. I have experiences such pain and agony at the hands of my fellow citizens and frankly I had sometimes felt so fed up and mentally tortured that a little exhortation would have made me do anything. So, my dear don’t take things so easy ,,,,try to eradicate the causes of this mental dilemma and suggest ways to resolve it. Just saying that these suicide bombers or their perpetrators are not patriots is totally wrong. The question is what made these patriotic people of yore to act as they are wont to do now and unless their trouble s are redressed. Think !