Mumbai attacks spur talk of Islam, terror
The attacks on multiple sites in Mumbai are rekindling the discussion of the relationship between Islam and terror, even before the perpetrators are definitively identified. Early reports suggest that the attacks may have been carried out by Pakistani militants involved in the conflict over Kashmir between India and Pakistan. But the choice of a Jewish target -- the Chabad House, where at least five people, including two rabbis, were killed -- as well as the targeting of American and British travelers, broadens the religious dimensions of the attack beyond the Hindu-Muslim conflict.
In Boston, the Jewish Community Relations Council this afternoon sent over the following statement, calling the attackers a "radical Islamic terrorist organization:"
"We are appalled by the absolute disregard for the value of human life displayed by these senseless acts of terrorism and we categorically condemn those responsible. The little known group Deccan Mujahedeen that claimed credit for the attack, and other radical Islamic terrorist organizations, continue to be a great threat to world peace. We call upon the nations of the world to collaborate to ensure that freedom and peace is safe and accessible for people worldwide. Though their targets were foreigners, the great majority of those gunned down were from the local population demonstrating the terrorists' willingness to indiscriminately take lives, as further shown by the women and children who were victims. As representatives of the Jewish community in greater Boston we find it particularly disturbing that a Jewish center was targeted and attacked and that five people were killed at the Chabad house including the young Rabbi and his wife. We join with the families of those killed, the Jewish community and the worldwide community in mourning the senseless deaths of innocent human life by vicious terrorists and pray for a complete and swift ending to the siege."And from Washington, the Muslim Public Affairs Council sent a statement suggesting that it is also concerned about the implications for Jewish-Muslim relations:
"MPAC expresses its condolences to the Jewish community and the various other communities whose members were involved in the tragic series of terrorist attacks in recent days. MPAC has sent letters of condolences to the Indian embassy, and encourages people of all faiths and nationalities to stand together against those who seek to divide our communities. Media reports indicate that more than 150 people have been killed in the attacks. Those responsible for these brutal and immoral attacks should be swiftly brought to justice. Islam considers the use of terrorism to be unacceptable for any purpose."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations yesterday issued the following statement condemning terrorism:
“We condemn these cowardly attacks and demand that all hostages taken by the attackers be released immediately and unconditionally. We offer sincere condolences to the loved ones of those killed or injured in these senseless and inexcusable acts of violence against innocent civilians. American Muslims stand with our fellow citizens of all faiths in repudiating acts of terror wherever they take place and whomever they target.”
But the attacks are already raising questions for many bloggers. Over at Beliefnet, Rod Dreher, who blogs as Crunchy Con, writes (sarcastically):
"Thanks, Muslim terrorists! You do so much for the world. Your Mumbai adventures on behalf of your faith have killed scores of people, and have jacked up tensions between two nuclear powers that hate each other...Look, I know that not all Muslims, nor, possibly, most Muslims, are behind these attacks. But the points made by Abdel Rahman al-Rashed in the wake of the Beslan massacre are as relevant today as they were then...As al-Rashed wrote at the time, 'Terrorism has become an Islamic enterprise; an almost exclusive monopoly, implemented by Muslim men and women.' Still is. Look at today's headlines. Draw the obvious conclusion.''
But at MuslimMatters, Amad writes:
"As Muslims, we condemn such senseless carnage against innocent civilians, wherever it may occur. This goes against the fundamental spirit of Islam, which promotes a culture of life and humanity, not bloodshed and violence. And another example of why extremist ideology, whatever that ideology may be, needs to be refuted and condemned."
(Photo, by Saurabh Das/AP, shows smoke coming out of Chabad's Nariman House, in Mumbai, after a rocket was fired at the building today.)
Comment
Permalink
E-mail
To paraphrase Abba Eben: "It looks like Islam never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity"......namely, here to present itself as a sane rational faith that has grievences against the Hindu majority in India, but has chosen to express it in the worst possible way. Congragulations Dummies!
These attacks are unfortunate. Innocent people suffer at the end. Our beloved country Pakistan had long ago already has become a center and target of Terror whose plans are made in the other countries. Since 1980 Pakistanis are witnessing the acts of terror in our streets due to fighting USA's war with the former Soviet Union.
Internationally, India, USA and Israel are responsible for the killing of millions of Muslims in Kashmir, Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine. Young Muslims understand these things and watching it with open eyes, Why Us! Why Us! are the targets of all the unfair politics going on in this world. But it seems that some young ones have lost their patience and resorted to unwanted extreme actions to counter the extreme actions of these countries. I appeal the world to join hands to bring peace to this tiny world as at the end we are one blood.
The connection between particularly cruel acts of terror and the Islamic faith cannot be ignored. We must ask ourselves how this came about, how such hideous anti-human behavior, in the name of God, continues to be sustained within Islam.
Is it just me, or do even the official Muslim condemnations of such acts seem carefully worded as to indicate that such carnage is little more than "unacceptable behavior". There is a problem here.
Wake up Islam! if you can't live in today's world, alongside other faiths and cultures, then you won't. This is where this is headed. Is that your goal?
Young muslims, old muslims, need to stand up and take back their religion. Islam is held hostage.
Xainab, Stop blaming the US for the world's problems. Brutto's death mean anything to you? What did ideals did she stand for? Stand up against this people who wish to distroy your country and other's in the middle east.
Many in Muslim world have to use there own judgement instead of borrowing the judgement from Mulla's and religios teachers. Like the earlier comment about the one person and many people in muslim world should learn to live side by side with others. Every democracy has a issues and it will get better day by day if you educate to live with that, there is none of the other system is better than Democracy. Every other system can be better if God come and rule the world, but the Democracy is the only option to the humans so far.
It is more interesting to read the rationalizations of terrorism by some who blame the US,, Israel or India for the problems in the lives, but not the radicalism of which they are part. That is somewhat like blaming New Jersey for the economic woes of the present recession. The oil wealth in Arab hands has gone to opulence and not to educate their co-religionists, except in Wahabbism and Sharia. The 'Golden Age' of Islam is long forgotten and the religion will be remembered and associated with little but the 'Age of Terror.'
First of ALL Terrorists are not muslims or jewish or chritians. In islam its totally not allowed to kill innocent civilians. totally totally not allowed. these so called muslims are not humans. they are brain washed adn used abused to do certain jobs.
but but but..the question is why they doing it? Wrong war in Iraq, Palestine taken away completely, kashmir has no meaning any where and in all these places every day innocents are brutally murdered...yes murdered but its not headline news but i can post utube links but it would make u all throw up. in gujrat 2000 people innocent children women burnt butchered by indian state police and malitia by Modi. so ....
sdsdis still in power.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jdbn5IjUXMM&feature=related
just take one random link of gujrat riots....india is full of tension between hindu and muslims.....its no rocket science why all this happening. ignorance is breedig violence. u kill muslim so muslim will kill back and so will hindu would or jews would...
this is one of thousands of links....same goes for paletine..iraq kasmir...we must fight for justice and stop talking nonsence that its islam.
wa
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=GvnFL9vP3vQ&feature=related
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0z114wnwXtQ&feature=related
if u have guts watch what they did to innocent people in gujrat. wake up its not about islam or india or jews...its about ignorance...
ignorant sees his family getting killed or butchered with babies getting burnt alive...they will react adn that what u seeing in mmbai i think. God help us all i swear...i fear my family with a world going totally crazy
http://www.iraqbodycount.org/
body count in iraq alone in 4 years 98000 plus guys.
kashmir 40000 plus
palestine more than 100,000 plus country taken away.
this will fuel terrorist,
fight the cause not the effect. we cant fight fire with fuel. ignorance has bred and terrorism so u cant stop people who want to kill themselves or Govt who wage wars for OIL and global power.
i do not say that all muslims are terrorists, but i do say that 99% of all terrorists are muslims. instead of blaming the west and the jews for their problems, they should wake up and see who is really to blame. it is their own leadership. arab and muslim leaders live a life of opulence while their SUBJECTS live in abject poverty and ignorence. when yasser arafat died, he was worth almost a billion dollars. his wife and daughter live in a huge chateau outside of paris. typical. these people are vermin.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ONMPZHRU02c&feature=related
why? its painful to see all this on utube but its there... and all ur answers are on utube...all..why these boys kill so easily why we all kill so easily ...
Islam spread through the mideast through violence, Afghanistan used to be Buddhist. I am sure the butchery we witnessed today was visited many times on indigenous populations in the past, but there were not TV stations to cover it. Muslims have been murdering and enslaving other peoples for centuries. It is a vicious religion, with a particularly sadistic bible. Read the Koran, and see the dozens of repetitions of hatred against unbelievers. In Saudi Arabia, Muslim law still makes apostasy (renouncing Islam) punishable by death.
jami, You started with criticizing terrorism and suggesting that normal people are brain washed and abused to do certain jobs. I don't disgree. However, did you not realize that the material you have published here is the exact type of material "the bad people" use to brian wash the so called normal humans and recruit them. I just hope you are not being dragged into it.
No sane person should denounce terrorism and then add a "but" justifying it in the same sentence. There is no room for that "but" especially at this point
So what will get them to stop killing?
How come when most of the countries condemnned the terrorist acts in Mumbai, leaders of the Islamic countries kept mum?. May be they secretly enjoying the whole act with glee. Pakistan is turning out to be like another Beirut of 60's-70's.
It's time for India to reply back strongly.
As a Muslim I completely condemn the taking of innocent lives. There is no justification and I am angered, offended and disgusted that people commit these heinous crimes in the name of Islam.
I cannot understand how anyone who truly understands Islam can even come to the conclusion that these acts of terrrorism is Islamic. I must conclude that these people are ignorant and very desperate. I do believe that we must educate our Muslim people and find a way to address the oppression and destitution in a peaceful and humane manner. Peace and blessings to all.
Can we just have a worldwide holy war and get this settled!! Its enough already, skirmishes here, conflicts there, car bombs, random attacks!! Lets have at it already.
Revenge is the powerful motivator behind the Mumbai attacks and for those directly affected no more justification is needed. The solution is complete non-intervention - the West must get out of everyone's backyard.
"According to data compiled by the (Pakistan) Interior Ministry, 301 of the 355 people killed in 32 US attacks this year were civilians, said a report published Tuesday in the English-language daily The News." More deaths than in Mumbai but with less outrage. Are their lives worthless? This is the message from the Western media.
Tribesman Vow Revenge
"Official and tribal sources told The News that a US spy plane was seen flying over the area during the aerial attack on the village.According to the sources, the plane, which had been hovering over the border tribal villages for the past several days, fired a Hellfire missile that razed to the ground the house of local tribesman Farman Dawar at Achar Khel village, about 25 kilometres west of Miramshah."
http://www.asia-pacific-action.org/node/176
Some of the deaths in Pakistan from US air stikes.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=64010§ionid=351020403
50 killed-july 2008
http://www.upi.com/Related-News/US_strikes_in_Pakistan_tribal_areas_'kill_21'/92351226855553/
21 killed Oct. 2008
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Pakistan/US-led_attack_on_Taliban_hideout_kills_6_in_Pak/articleshow/3457680.cms
16 killed Sept 2008
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/02/AR2006110201026.html
80 killed Nov 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/01/world/asia/01drone.html
21 killed NOv 1008
http://en.timeturk.com/Air-raids-kill-Afghan-women-10896-haberi.html
Dozens of women killed by US strikes(Afghanistan)
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
Blogger
E-mail mpaulson@globe.com.
Articles of Faith on Twitter
views
featured comments
Faith-based gardening: A rose for the popebrowse this blog
by categoryEVENTS
CAUSES
BLOGROLL
Headlines
Media blogs
Media criticism
Politics
Catholicism
Episcopalianism
Evangelicalism
Islam
Judaism
Mormonism
Unitarian Universalism
ALSO OF INTEREST
From our archives
Ma Siss's Place
Benedict visits the US
O'Malley's elevation
The new pope
Pope John Paul II
Parish closings
Catholic church abuse
INside Boston.com