http://www.msnbc.com/news/956879.asp Dozens killed in Bombay blasts Religious conflict cited; Pakistan calls blast terrorism Policemen inspect the site of the bomb blast Monday at the Gateway of India, the center of Bombay's tourist area. MSNBC NEWS SERVICES BOMBAY, India, Aug. 25 — Two bombs rocked a crowded jewelry market and a tourist landmark in India’s financial capital of Bombay on Monday, killing 46 people and injuring dozens more. No one immediately claimed responsibility, but the blasts came the same day as the release of a long-anticipated archaeological report on a religious site in northern India claimed by both Hindus and Muslims. The dispute over the site has been linked to previous bombings. Images from the two blasts that rocked Bombay “I LOOKED UP and saw smoke everywhere and people screaming,” said Raju Ghosh, who had just settled down for a tea break when he heard the deafening explosion. “I started running toward a taxi that had exploded into pieces,” he said, adding that bodies were all around him. “My head was spinning and I was trembling, but I continued carrying the bodies.” Most deaths were at the jewelry market. A second bomb exploded near the city’s main tourist attraction, the Gateway of India, a huge waterfront archway in the heart of Bombay. State health minister Digvijay Khanvilkar told Reuters that 46 people had been killed and 137 were wounded. Sushil Kumar Shinde, chief minister of Maharashtra state, said earlier that the death toll was at least 42. Shinde urged people not to panic. He said a taxi driver was being questioned on the suspicion that the bomb at the Gateway of India was planted in his car, which had been left in a parking lot. STAMPEDES FOLLOW BLAST The carnage shocked even those accustomed to bloodshed. “I have never seen anything so horrible,” said S. Manoj, a doctor at Bombay’s J.J. Hospital. Advertisement Manoj said some of the injured had been trampled in stampedes after the explosions, and came in with multiple broken bones. The blast broke windows and damaged cars at the Taj Mahal Hotel, which is across the street from the gateway. A second blast exploded at the Zaveri Bazaar, a congested jewelry market near a Hindu temple. Blood and broken glass lay scattered for several hundred yards along the market street. “If the blast had happened two hours later, this street would have been covered with hundreds of bodies,” said Prashant Jhaveri, a diamond jeweler. Police said earlier reports of four explosions had been wrong. PAST VIOLENCE The explosions came just hours after the release of the archaeological report on the religious site in the northern town of Ayodhya. The site has sparked violence before. In March, a bomb attack on a Bombay train, which police blamed on Islamic militants, killed 11 people and wounded 64 others. That explosion came a day after the 10th anniversary of a series of bombings in Bombay — also blamed on Islamic militants — that killed more than 250 people and injured 1,000. Police say the 1993 bombings were in retaliation for the 1992 destruction by Hindus mobs of the Ayodhya mosque, and to avenge Muslim deaths in riots that followed. A Hindu mob tore down the 16th-century Babri Mosque in Ayodhya in 1992, claiming Muslims had built it after razing a Hindu temple marking the birthplace of Rama. The mosque’s destruction ignited religious riots that killed 2,000 people across India, a predominantly Hindu country of more than 1 billion people, with the world’s largest Muslim minority of 140 million. Hindus want to build a new temple on the disputed grounds near Ayodhya, 310 miles southeast of New Delhi. Muslims demand the land be returned to them so they can build a new mosque. The report, issued by the government archaeological agency, indicated there had been some sort of ancient structure at the site. “The lotus motifs, circular shrines, 50 pillar bases in association of a huge structure are indicative of remains which are distinctive features found associated with the temples of north India,” the report stated. The blasts came shortly before the report was released to the public. 1 / 6 Next: 1947 - Partition -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- India constitutionally is a secular country that guarantees religious freedom. But in its 55-year history, the country has seen repeated incidents of religious strife that have cost thousands of lives. In the 1940s, riots between Hindus, who make up about 80 percent of the nation, and Muslims resulted in the country being divided into India and Pakistan. The bitterness bred in those times remains. Click a link above to explore some of the worst cases of this violence. 1947 — British India was partitioned on the basis of religion, with Pakistan becoming a Muslim state. As millions of Hindus crossed over from Pakistan to India, and Muslims left India for Pakistan, riots broke out across the subcontinent, claiming an estimated 1million lives. Oct. 31, 1984 — The assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by a security guard who was a Sikh sparked off anti-Sikh riots across India. The unofficial death toll was four times the official figure of 2,700. The security guard killed Gandhi apparently because she had ordered the Indian Army into the Sikhs’ holiest shrine, the Golden Temple, to flush out separatist militants. Dec. 6, 1992 — Hindu radicals pulled down Babri Masjid, a 500-year-old mosque in northern India that they believe was built over a temple that marked the birthplace of the Hindu god Ram. The demolition of the mosque led to riots across the country in which around 3,000 people were reportedly killed. Jan. 23, 1999 — An Australian priest, Graham Steins, and his two young sons were burned to death in the eastern Indian state of Orissa. A mob sprinkled the vehicle they were sleeping in with petrol and set it on fire. Steins had run a hospital for lepers. The killing sparked off tensions among India’s Christians, who form about 2.5 percent of its 1 billion population. Hindu crowds rampage against Muslims and their property in Ahmedabad, Gujarat state, in February 2002 in reprisals for an attack that burned 58 Hindus to death on a train. February-March: A Muslim mob set fire to a train carrying Hindu activists, killing 58 people. That attack in Godhra on Feb. 27 set off a wave of reprisal killings and rioting in which Muslims were the main victims. About 1,000 people were killed, according to government estimates. PAKISTAN REPUDIATES BOMBING India has also in the past blamed Pakistan-based militants fighting Indian rule in Kashmir, its only Muslim-majority state, for bombs and other attacks. The Bombay blasts followed a thaw in relations between nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and India, which came close to war last year following a December 2001 attack on India’s parliament that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based militants. Pakistan, which had denied involvement in the parliament attack, condemned the Bombay blasts as “acts of terrorism.” “We deplore these attacks and we sympathize with the victims and their families. Civilians have been targeted according to the news reports we have been hearing and we condemn all acts of terrorism,” Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Masood Khan said. “I think that such wanton targeting of civilians should be condemned in the strongest possible terms.” _____________________________________________________ Killing in the name of GOD.....Unbelievable.... !!! Why do all these bombings have to do with the SUPPOSEDLY peaceful muslim religion? DD
Hey let's take over and occupy India. You are either with us or against us. India obviously can't stop these ISLAMIC TERRORISTS, so we have to do so.
Nah Glynch, Better just to Nuke the whole region and go on with our peaceful lives here in the States. DD
What did the Crusades have to do with Christianity? This is less about religion and more about the extreme sense of poverty and injustice in that part of the world. People cling to whatever makes them feel like they belong and gives them a sense of safety. They funnel their frustration into rage. Nevermind their extreme lack of education. In America, the vast majority of violent crimes are perpetrated by people with low income and little education. It is no different. In pre-industrialized society (which is what they are living in), people of all different religions raided and killed each other in the name of religion. Some "savages" were even killed so their souls could be saved. It is not a new sociological phenomenon and it is not unique to Islam.
Jeff, Now we have reached some common ground. I completely agree with your last post. Now, if Religion would actually HELP these people instead of trying to control them ....then...... DD
While I agree in principle with the rest of what you are saying, the killing of scores of people in bombings directed at innocent civilians right now seems to be limited to people doing it in the name of Islam.
Yes, but that is NOT uncommon. Frequently in the past, innocent people have been murdered in the name of religion, Christianity in particular. The point is that you cannot target or blame one entire religion for the beliefs and heinous acts of one group of people who act supposedly in its name.
Maybe you can't "blame" Islam, but clearly the way Islam is taught needs to be reformed. Christianity is a lot more tolerant these days, you don't see Christians, Jews, Hindus, etc. going to war against infidels or murdering political opponents. But that's exactly what you see with extreme Islam followers.
Yeah, its not Islam that's to blame. Its really just 8 or 9 radicals flying around the globe blowing people up in Africa, Southeast Asia, Southwest Asia, the Middle East, Western Asia/Europe, and North America.
Yes, but it wasn't always that way. At one point, Christians were equal to marauding bands of invaders trampling on the rights and lives of anyone in their path. I think everyone here makes the mistake in believing that all Muslims are alike. Are all Christians alike? We see here that there are a wide variety of Christians who believe many different things and practice with a wide degree of regularity and fervor. Some go to church every Sunday. Others don't. Some are conservative and fundamentalist. Some are moderate. Some are fairly liberal. Some practice Christianity as their religion but don't believe it is the only way. Some follow it in name only but aren't really practitioners. Some are peaceful law-abiding citizens. Some are criminals. Islam is exactly the same way. All we happen to see are the militants on television. We rarely see the thousands upon thousands of peaceful practicing Muslims who go to mosque like we go to church or synagogue. I'm not absolving those responsible from their crimes by saying this. Far from it. They are responsible and should suffer the consequences of those actions. Likewise, Islam should take a more active role in addressing the issue through its own teachings and theology. But, how much of a role does the Christian Church in America take in dealing with fanatics who blow up buildings or kill abortion doctors? How much can they realistically be expected to do given their resources? The same goes for Islam.
Jeff, I understand what you are saying, and not all Islamic people are extreme. But the reason you don't see Christian's having religious wars anymore is because Christianity reformed several hundred years ago. Unfortunately Islam has not reformed. It is still at that stage where they have no tolerance whatsoever and believe murdering those of differing beliefs is still ok. Whether people want to "blame" Islam does not matter to me. What I am concerned about is the way the religion is being taught and practiced. Islam today is how Christianity used to be, and that must change. About their resources, unfortunately I think most of the money is going to extremists, not moderates.
Are the people of Pakistan and India ethnically the same people or closely related? It just sounds crazy that their only beef is a difference in religion. In that part of the world, Hindus don't take **** either. Last year, some Muslim extremist burned a train full of Hindus and the Hindus retaliated by burning Muslim houses and murdered over a thousand people.
I believe the magnitude and threat to the world is completely different when comparing these Christian fanatics targeting a few abortion doctors and the Islamic fanatics around the world targeting the whole western civilization. Both are sadly misguided and crazy. However, the potential threat to the world is so different that I think it is wrong to give the impression that you feel like these two are comparable. Also, I think you make the mistake in believing that everyone thinks that all Muslims are alike . Obviously they are not. But I personally notice a much broader support for the Islamic extremists within their religious group than I see for those few Christian anti-abortion fanatics. As I have posted before, I have seen people (and not just a few) celebrate in the streets when 9/11 happened. I have also talked to a lot of Muslims and I can sense that they at least sympathize with the motives of the Islamic terrorists, even if they do not fully condone the extent of their actions. Many of the Muslims in Germany have no interest whatsoever in integrating themselves in the German society. They do build their own cells with the goal of forcing their way of life on others, and they are pretty open about it. They are openly hostile, and they have been welcomed with a lot of tolerance which I think is misguided because it goes too far when it means you are embracing those who do not want to be embraced, but who openly want to subdue you. And, with varying degrees of how far the support goes, they are supported, at least as far as the motives of their actions go, by many of the same religion. When I say many, I do not mean 2 % or 5 %, but probably something closer to 20 % or so at least. There is a widespread sentiment of hate and envy against the western/American world among Muslims. It is NOT a phenomenon limited to just a few. Just read some of Lil's posts in the thread about Waldheim and you will see part of what I mean. Jeff, I appreciate that you are a nice guy and preach tolerance and preach not painting one group in one corner and blaming every member of the group for the actions of a few. But my point is that it is not just a few. They have a lot of support, and it is rooted in the current state of how their religion is taught, preached, and practiced. I am not saying Islam is a "bad" religion per se. But in its current state, it is the root of possibly the biggest threat to world peace. I do not think that this problem will be solved during our lifetime. Rather, I see the danger of the world being divided in two blocks much as it was for a long time during the cold war, just that the other side will not be the Communists this time, but the Islamic world, sad as this may sound. I do not see a short-term solution to the problem. Long-term, there might be, but I do not want to elaborate on that now.
I've walked where the blast occurred at the Gateway. Shocking. Here is a little background on The Gateway of India. GATEWAY OF INDIA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Mumbai, Maharashtra Built: To Commemorate The Visit Of The First Ever British Monarch, King George V And Queen Mary In 1911 Designed By: Architect George Wittet Formally Opened: 1924 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Grand and Magnificent Landmark Of Mumbai Mumbai's principal landmark, the Gateway of India is a huge archway on the water's edge at Apollo Bunder. It is the starting point for most tourists who want to explore the city. This famous monument was built to commemorate the visit of the first ever British Monarch, King George V and Queen Mary in 1911. The Gateway was built by the British and designed by the architect George Wittet. The first stone was laid by the then Governor of Bombay on March 31st, 1913. The Gate was formally opened in 1924. It is 26m high structures, complete with four turrets and intricate latticework carved into the yellow basalt stone. Ironically, when the British Raj ended in 1947, this colonial symbol also became a sort of epitaph: the last of the British ships that set sail for England left from the Gateway. www.indiantravelportal.com Jeff is right... it's not the religions that are at fault, it's the mad extremists that use them as justification for their attempted destruction of society. If you want a good example of "mad Christian Extremists", look no further than the rape of Constantinople by the Crusaders in June/July of 1203. The 4th Crusade, led by France and Venice, did incalculable damage to civilization. Madmen driven by fanaticism or greed have always plagued humanity in the name of religion. What we face today is no different. It's just that it is happening to US. And to the average citizen in the Middle East and elsewhere, it is happening to THEM.
While I agree that Religion is not at fault, you cannot compare the Christian Extremists of 1203 to what is happening in the world today.
India will no doubt place blame on Pakistan for their inability to prevent the bombing. It's just scary to know that Pakistan and India has fought a few wars already and now they have nuclear weapons. I'm just worried that things like this in the past has led to an escalation of military confrontation. Let's hope that Musharref and Fernandes (Is he Spanish?) act with cooler heads to avoid anything crazy like last year.
Well in the past few years you have attempted genocide by Christian Serbs against peaceful Muslims. This is why Clinton sent troops to the region, and we now have people on trial for war crimes. So the Christians are doing those things, and it isn't just the distant past in regards to the crusades, and ill treatment of American Indians. You also have Jewish terrorist organizations with the last year and a half planting bombs outside of a school for elementary age islamic children in Israel. We have the IRA, who also happen to beare Christians, in the last decade bombing civilians in Europe. So it isn't strictly Islamists that are commmitting the atrocities in the name of God. To claim that Christians have moved on and don't do these things anymore isn't accurate.
