Adil Najam
The cowardly suicide attack on the Danish Embassy in Islamabad which has led at least eight people dead is not just an attack on a foreign embassy in Pakistan, it is an attack on Pakistan.
There is and there can be no excuse for this dastardly action, and to make excuses is to become part of the apparatus of validating the terror itself. There are those who will make misplaced claims about this being an act of ghairat (honor). Let us be very clear, this is a bay-ghairat (dishonorable) act, no matter what the concocted excuse or justification might be.
The Associated Press pictures above (and below) tell the story of hate and destruction; here are the details, from The News:
The death toll in a huge blast near Danish embassy in F-6 II area in the Red Zone of the federal capital Islamabad on Monday has reached to eight, while seven wounded said to be in a critical condition. The car blast near the Denmark embassy damaged a boundary wall of the building, while nearby UNDP office premises were also damaged in the blast. According to sources 10 to 15 kilogram explosives were used in the blast, which also shattered the vehicles parked in the area. Huge clouds of smoke were seen over the area. The blast created four feet deep crater sources said. Police have cordoned off the area to collect evidence about the incident. Relief operations were underway and the wounded being transferred to hospitals.
While leaders in Pakistan as well as Denmark have condemned the dastardly act, we the people of Pakistan also need to condemn and be outraged at this. These acts of venom and hate are being done in our name. And no matter what the cause we need to stand up and say that this cannot, must not, be allowed to happen in our name.
This is just the latest in a string of hate blasts across Pakistan, including in Islamabad. We at ATP have been worried and have been warning against this culture of violence that has been festering in Pakistan. ATP commentator Deeda-i-Beena has provided some thoughtful ideas of steps that can be taken to begin addressing this cancer. It is time we think of them seriously.
@Ibrahim….
the only thing that shell shocks me ( I know It shouldnt be anymore) is that how you and your ilk from the Mullah cult continue to Lie and Lie..and Lie…
If wanting to damn people to hell for the act the left 8 families..Pakistani…Muslim families destroyed is being a liberal…then so be it..liberal it is then….
In that vein…Hazrat e Imam Hussain (RA) and Hazrat Ali (RA) were liberals too…and in case that boggles your mind…then for a change….pick up a book called Nahajul Balagha…
but what is the use…nothing you read or are told will change you as the friends that I have lost over the years to the cancer that this Mullah-ism…
so on 2nd thought…dont read that book…or any book for that matter…ignore all that is said to you here…
and wallow…wallow in your lack of compassion and wallow in the company of those that would keep women indoors for ever and would keep children from receiving Polio drops….
wallow ..with wanton abandon..
<b>So called Elite,Read what Ibrahim said</b>. If you are “newbie” here then doesn’t mean you give fatwa on behalf of atp team and old commenters.
p.s: I know you would not read that document. You would just criticize and prove yourself as “last man standing”. Carry on!
Adnan Siddiqi, You are doing it again. PLEASE STOP LYING.
And trying to get traffic directed to your website through these baseless comments is really a cheap trick.
RAND, is NOT a Liberal institution it is a Right Wing Conservative institution
Salamalaikum
I wanted to ask the same question but Ahsan beat me to it. Before Dan, Liberal Elite and others get all worked up, have you thought for a second that not once did ATP write a post condemning specifically the massacre of people in north of Pakistan? And, unfortunately, there have been chances upon chances for them to do so. I’m not going to judge anybody’s intentions, but the lack of such reports reeks of hypocrisy. And, this is the least I can say.
This act is horrendous, stupid and wrong…completely wrong. Most Muslims and almost all Muslim scholars do not allow suicide bombings like this. And, ATP doesn’t miss a chance to let us know that it was “dastardly”. That’s ok. But, what about other Muslims being killed in Pakistan?
I don’t have the time to dig them up but many comments have been made here where people have expressed happiness at Pak Army’s operation up north (saying things like ‘these people deserve in kind’, etc.)…Elite you are either new or suffer from weak memory.
There was this missile attack a week or so ago that killed people and destroyed houses. Nobody was ready to take responsibility. In fact, Pakistan’s foreign office event went ahead and said it was from outside. Such an important event, but no news on ATP about it. Why? Now, if a missile out of thin air had struck Islamabad, we would immediately experience a post on ATP calling it dirty, cowardly act, and the subsequent commentators would pay their dues by telling us the Mullah did it.
Don’t immediately be shocked when you are challenged. May be look around and see if there is any substance to the allegations made on you guys.
Down with this two-faced Pakistaniat.
Fareed Ali, I’m with you.
Even the mods on this blog let people come and try to defend these utterly condemnable acts …. just because this will create more controversies and bring more comments …. very much like our media. With Pakistan existense on stake, we desperately need to re-define our priorities list. Media, Maulanas and our leaders should at least take a break right now and make sure we don’t loose this country (God Forbid).