Another giant step forward for the religion of detonation;
An attack on a political rally killed the Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto near the capital, Islamabad, Thursday. Witnesses said Ms. Bhutto was fired upon before the blast, and an official from her party said Ms. Bhutto was further injured by the explosion, which was apparently caused by a suicide attacker.
At least a dozen more people were killed. “At 6:16 p.m. she expired,” said Wasif Ali Khan, a member of Ms. Bhutto’s party who was at Rawalpindi General Hospital where she was taken after the attack, according to The Associated Press.
Hundreds of supporters had gathered at the rally, which was being held at Liaqut Bagh, a park that is a common venue for political rallies and speeches, in Rawalpindi, the garrison city adjacent to the capital.
Amid the confusion after the explosion, the site was littered with pools of blood. Shoes and caps of party workers were lying on the asphalt, and shards of glass were strewn about the ground.
Ed Morrissey notes another four were killed at a rally for Nawaz Sharif in Rawalpindi. “It looks as though the radical Islamists made their statement today.”
Related: Radical Believers: Abortion doctors are dropping like fly – In a statistics-free report, National Post writer Adrian Humphreys offers that Muslims are “linked” to the Sept. 11 attacks “and other acts of terrorism”.
More – Her list of enemies has a common pedigree, with the usual suspects now taking credit.
Final word;
Since her last spell in power, Pakistan has changed, profoundly. Its sovereignty is meaningless in increasingly significant chunks of its territory, and, within the portions Musharraf is just about holding together, to an ever more radicalized generation of young Muslim men Miss Bhutto was entirely unacceptable as the leader of their nation. “Everyone’s an expert on Pakistan, a faraway country of which we know everything,” I wrote last month. “It seems to me a certain humility is appropriate.” The State Department geniuses thought they had it all figured out. They’d arranged a shotgun marriage between the Bhutto and Sharif factions as a “united” “democratic” “movement” and were pushing Musharraf to reach a deal with them. That’s what diplomats do: They find guys in suits and get ’em round a table. But none of those representatives represents the rapidly evolving reality of Pakistan. Miss Bhutto could never have been a viable leader of a post-Musharraf settlement, and the delusion that she could have been sent her to her death. Earlier this year, I had an argument with an old (infidel) boyfriend of Benazir’s, who swatted my concerns aside with the sweeping claim that “the whole of the western world” was behind her. On the streets of Islamabad, that and a dime’ll get you a cup of coffee.
No matter what side of the political divide you reside, this is horrible news for all who support a democratic process. I am praying that this will not be linked in anyway to the other official parties within the Pakistani political process.
… and this morning’s National Post front page story on religious extremism leading to violence focused on, you guessed it, killing abortion doctors
Religion of anything but peace.
Hard to believe we’re dealing with the Human Race this far along in it’s evolution.
This may have nothing to do with religion, but rather extremist politics. Lets wait until all the facts come to light.
Brutal culture = brutal politics
More abortion doctors have been killed on “Law & Order” than in real life.
And among the real life murderers, the most famous, Eric Rudolph, isn’t a Christian, and thinks Christians are idiots.
bhutto new she was in great danger 24/7.more senseless killings in the name of politics and religion….on the brighter side there is one less suicide bomber to use on the western world.
A muslim leader assassinated ! The Joooooooss!
“This attack did not have the same impact as the one in October in Karachi. In that case, the murderers boob-trapped a baby that someone tried to hand to Bhutto.”
So, who donated and wired up the baby, mom or dad? Want to bet the baby was an expendable female. The depravity of these homicidal freaks and the religion that spawns them is breathtaking.
“Experts not surprised religious zealotry can lead to shocking violence”
What sensationalist sophistry!…the Post has gone downhill intellectually since Asper bought it, now he’s making it as low-brow and preachy as his other rags.
It is POLITICAL zealotry that has killed 300 million people in the last century and continues to grind them up in its cogs today…as it did in this Pakistani political assassination….religion is the sanitizing cloak of the terrorist…primarily it is a political agenda they pursue.
Radical facist Islam or radical communist statist-globalism or radical Japanese imperialism or radical national socialism what’s the difference together they have killed more people in the last century than all the religious wars in history.
The murder of Bhutto is sad and tragic, but hardly surprising (unfortunately). I expect to see mass protests, martial law and more bloodshed.
And in the National Post article, I just love the quote from the UC-Santa Barbara prof, who said, “Every religious tradition has this element.” I wonder what “religious tradition” inspired Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold? They killed more than all the US anti-abortion murderers combined.
From the NP article:
“While there are millions of Christians, only a handful have picked up a gun in their battle to end abortion. Similarly, of the millions of Muslims around the world only a fraction engage in terrorism. Clearly, belief in religion or belief in any particular religion is not an invitation to violence. It is about extremes, the scholars say.”
Are the f***ing kidding me. There is no similarity at all. How many so called Christians have “picked up a gun” or bombed abortion clinics, Let’s go with an extreme number 1,000 (and that is very extreme indeed) while only a “fraction” of Muslims engage in terrorism. Let’s go with a small fraction 1% of the 2.5 billion Muslims that would be 25,000,000.
I’ll take my chances walking past an abortion clinic every time thanks.
Bhutto was shot in the neck and head. She died from gunshot injuries, not a bomb.
Allow me gently to differ with some of the other commenters. This is religious extremism. It may also be political extremism, but it is religious extremism. It is not true, however, that “every religious tradition has this element.” Other religions may have had this element at some point in the past, but they don’t now. When Terence Cardinal Cook was Archbishop of New York, his statement was, “Don’t kill a doctor who performs abortions. Kill me instead.” or words to that effect.
Individual Catholics or fundamentalist Christians may kill in the name of their faith, but their churches do not promote killing; rather, they condemn it. That’s not true of Islam today.
Silicon Valley,
Well said.
This is definitiely not a good thing. Remeber that that in the days before Sept 11 Al Queda assisinated a key Afghan opponent. Bomb in the film camera of a fake newscrew (is there no end to this)
Anyway, that was seen as an important percursor to launching the attacks. I dont knwo if this holds the same potential. It seems that Al Queda may have given up on Afghanistan and Iraq in the short run and are seeking to decapitate the Pakistani leadership, especially if they were trying to get at the other PM candidate.
If they got those two then this makes it Mussaref against Taliban/Al Queda. Mussahref would have to either set himself up as head of the army again and cancel elections or continue but risk the same fate as Bhutto.
The Al Queda parasite has invaded Pakistan and seeks to control the host. The inidans wont stand for it, I dont even know if the Iranians will stand for it. Question is will the Chineses and the Russians?
This is not a good situation, I am just wondering what the next shoe to drop will be.
Just The Facts – I suggest you go look at the photos of the other bodies being hauled away.
I suggest you go look at the photos of the other bodies being hauled away.
The suicide bomber is obviously responsible for many other deaths. However, Bhutto died from gunshot wounds.
Your choice to use the phrase “religion of detonation” suggests that Bhutto was killed by a suicide bomber. She was not.
You should be more interested in reporting the facts and less interested in directing your readers’ reaction.
“Your choice to use the phrase “religion of detonation” suggests that Bhutto was killed by a suicide bomber. She was not.”
Nope, it suggests that a bombing occurred. Which, as you already said, as did any number of news reports, happened.
“You should be more interested in reporting the facts and less interested in directing your readers’ reaction.”
Wow, a few hours in, with confusion and conflicting reports out of Pakistan, and YOU have the facts? Thank you for enlightening us poor souls bereft of your special insight to Pakistani politics.
Ooops, wait, latest news is she was shot and then bombed by the guy who shot her. I guess we’ll wait for the autopsy to determine final cause of death and then declare a winner in the great “Who killed BB” debate.
This is so predictable. Let’s throw all the religious people into one basket. UnderLYING theme: “Their all nuts, don’t trust anyone who is religious”
“You should be more interested in reporting the facts and less interested in directing your readers’ reaction.”
Are you this stupid in real life, or is it something you reserve for the internets?
This was posted yesterday. The final sentence in this excerpt now seems vastly more understated.
U.S. Troops to Head to Pakistan
Beginning early next year, U.S. Special Forces are expected to vastly expand their presence in Pakistan, as part of an effort to train and support indigenous counter-insurgency forces and clandestine counterterrorism units, according to defense officials involved with the planning.
These Pakistan-centric operations will mark a shift for the U.S. military and for U.S. Pakistan relations. In the aftermath of Sept. 11, the U.S. used Pakistani bases to stage movements into Afghanistan. Yet once the U.S. deposed the Taliban government and established its main operating base at Bagram, north of Kabul, U.S. forces left Pakistan almost entirely. Since then, Pakistan has restricted U.S. involvement in cross-border military operations as well as paramilitary operations on its soil.
But the Pentagon has been frustrated by the inability of Pakistani national forces to control the borders or the frontier area. And Pakistan’s political instability has heightened U.S. concern about Islamic extremists there….
I can’t decide whether Jesus or Mohammad did it.Maybe even their frantic,fanatical ever loving followers.
Let me set the record straight regarding “fundamentalist” Christians. This term was given early in the last century to those Bible believers who would not succumb to liberal Christianity and held to fundamentals as creation as a direct act of God, the virgin birth and deity of Jesus Christ, his vicarious atonement on the cross for the sins of mankind, his bodily resurrection, etc. We who believe these things also know that “we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). You will look in vain to find that Baptists for instance, have ever persecuted anyone. Why is it written “For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are acconted as sheep for the slaughter. (Romans 8:36)? That is not to say we will not take up arms to defend our homes and country, but remember true followers of Jesus Christ behave as he did. The term ‘fundamentalist” has been hijacked by the media as a negative slander, and one only has to google up the term to find its true historical usage. I just a few moments ago received email from “fundamentalist” Christian friends in Pakistan who are really sad for their country; however when I was there several years to teach in a Bible college, (you’ve got to love that: teaching at a Bible College in an Islamic Republic!) folks there generally preferred the less corrupt military regime to the previous totally corrupt “democratic” government under Bhutto.
Hope everyone is having quality time with friends and family this week, the Lord bless you all.
How could you set a record straight whilst teaching crap,of no historical fact.
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything (Hardcover)
by Christopher Hitchens (Author)
Key Phrases: United States, Mother Teresa, Old Testament (more…)
Who killed Benazir Bhutto? The main suspects
The main suspects in Benazir Bhutto’s assassination are the Pakistani and foreign Islamist militants who saw her as a heretic and an American stooge and had repeatedly threatened to kill her.
But fingers will also be pointed at Inter-Services Intelligence, the agency that has had close ties to the Islamists since the 1970s and has been used by successive Pakistani leaders to suppress political opposition…
I thought so-called “occupation” was the cause of homicide bombing.
Pretty soon the excuses will move from “not all Muslims are terrorists” to “not all homicide bombers are successful.”
Police confirm Benazir was shot before bombing ISLAMABAD, Dec 27 (AFP) Benazir Bhutto was shot in the neck by her attacker before he blew himself up in a suicide attack Thursday outside a campaign rally, police officials confirmed. She succumbed to her injuries in hospital but it was not immediately known if it was the gunshot wound that killed her. “The attacker fired and then blew himself up,” said one of the officials, who asked not to be named. (Posted @ 21:58 PST)
The National Post article is just another spewing equivalence and obfuscation.
Extremism, like anything else has a root cause.
Mohammad, the so-called ‘perfect man’ and the one Muslims are commanded to emulate said, “Kill the Jews wherever you find them.” He said, “I’ve been made victorious through terror.” And he said, “War is deceipt.”
Christ said, “Love your enemies.” He said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” And he said, “He without sin cast the first stone.”
Islam is based on a foundationally violent, misogynistic, imperialist, racist and supremacist ideology. The texts and life of Mohammad are rife with it.
The opposite is true of the NT and Christ’s life example.
Attempting to make the two equivalent is based on willfull ignorance or outright lies. It is not based on the facts which are there for all to read.
It is also dangerous. It maligns Christianity and misconstrues Islam – raising Islam to the moral level of Christianity, without merit, disregarding facts and further adding to the ignorance and susceptibility of the majority. (For example, witness jacks remark)
Multiculturalism and moral, cultural equivalence are the handmaidens to Islamic terrorism.
A very sad event!!She knew months ago that her life was in danger. She should have sought exhile in a protected area. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
From the Hindustan Times:
Quote: Police said a suicide bomber fired shots at Bhutto as she left the rally venue in a park before blowing himself up.
“The man first fired at Bhutto’s vehicle. She ducked and then he blew himself up,” said police officer Mohammad Shahid. End Quote.
So, it would appear she WAS killed by a suicide bomber, but perhaps not by a suicide BOMB.
[deleted – off topic. ED]
Thanks Wally for bringing some focus on that issue. We all need to be reminded of the true meaning of the Christian fundamentalist movement.
Silicon Valley has it right. To lump all philosofies together is intellectually lazy. Look at what the religion actually says. If some call themselves Christian and are violent you cant blame Christianity because the religion clearly rejects violence. Read the Koran. Mohamad was a warrior who justifies violence. To assume Muslims believe in a Christian type non violence religion is naive.
hehaw,
You’ve chosen the correct moniker. Your donkey headed posts are laughable.
Men are men and fallible. The ideology of Islam sanctifies and justifies evil actions. Christianity, on the other hand, condemns.
You, however, don’t even have a foundation for rational thought. Pity.
Christ also said:
“I say to you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. As for my enemies who do not want me to reign over them, bring them here and kill them in my presence” (Luke 19:26-27)
religious texts, if not read within their proper historical and textual contexts, are easily distorted and manipulated.
This post is for comments relating to the Bhutto assassination. Stay on topic. Tangential discussions about religion are not.
[The same is true of the Islamic extremists who commit acts of terrorism, Prof. Juergensmeyer says. “The common thread is the justification of an act because of a belief in a higher moral purpose or higher moral commandment.”]
[“This is why religious violence is so insidious and frequently vicious,” Dr. Incandela says. “Ultimately, what the person is trying to exhibit is who is in control of the universe.”]
‘extreemists’
‘belief’
‘higher moral’
‘religious violence’
‘insidious’
‘control’
‘universe’
The fanatics and extreemists are often ‘the problem’. Not the problem itself. Religious, politial, social, environmental, ect.
Say, …. Al Gore behind the death threats on Tim Ball ?
Who cares if she was killed by a bomb
or
if she was killed by a gun shot
or
if she was killed by a gun shot AND a bomb
or if she was poisoned before she was shot or before the bomb exploded?
Radicals from the religion that treats women like cattle did it,
and that is all we need to know.
Or Bush did it because Bush is to blame for everything
( sarcasm )
Talking to a guy at the neighbourhood pumps today ( he’s from Pakistan)…he brought up a salient point that will naturally be downplayed by the bra-burners on this side of the drink….he said Bhutto was assassinated directly because she was a woman. He said the Pakistani Muslim establishment would never allow a woman to be president….that plus Bhutto has openly stated she would bring in sweeping electoral reforms to give women full legally protected vote equity.
Where are the shill cries of outrage from the fembot left?
On the lighter side of this on-going insanity.
One report got it wrong and did a story on Bluto.
Check it out. HERE
At times like this ya gotta have sense of humor.
[deleted. Stop engaging the trolls. ED]
I’m amazed she wasn’t killed even earlier; no one is truly safe from terrorists…..especially a woman in a predominantly Muslim country.
And just for the record, I would never condone killing physicians that perform abortions, but I certainly would not shed a tear for the physicians either. A physician wantonly and willfully takes the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of the unborn, and the world is suppose to condemn the person who takes a physician’s life for doing so. I believe God will hold the nations accountable that condone abortion and practice the killing of the unborn; I can only wonder if the person that kills a physician who performs abortions will face a lesser fate.
One of the sad aspects of this murder was that Ms. Bhutto’s father was hanged, and two of her brothers met a similar fate to hers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benazir_Bhutto#Family
In terms of politically-motivated violent deaths, the Bhutto family has actually had it worse than Joe Kennedy Sr. and his kids.
Sorry, I shouldn’t have gone with the flow and gone off topic.
My understanding at this time is that BB was killed for two reasons: poor security; and that SHE wanted to lead Pakistan, which the Islamists wouldn’t tolerate. Fact is she was quite corrupt herself I understand, in a bad lot of leaders. Pakistan is at the nexus of Islamic terrorism, espionage, arms sales, drugs, and lots of other nasty things. That didn’t change today.
Once again, the Islamists have miscalculated, giving Musharraf a free hand in nailing them. It’s time to clean up that cesspool of a border with Afghanistan.
I did hear that it was Karzai’s fault. Get this, because US invaded Afghan, that made Islamists in Pakistan use suicide bombing tactics. Yeah, someone made that argument today on CTV. Maybe they should blame Yasser Arafat.
From CTV News’ report on the assassination, updated as of 1:31 PM ET:
“There are mixed reports regarding whether Bhutto was directly killed by the bomb or by gunfire shortly before the explosion….
“Bhutto’s security adviser, Rehman Malik, said the leader was shot in the neck and chest by the attacker, who then detonated his explosive. Party supporter Chaudry Mohammed Nazir said two gunshots were fired on Bhutto’s vehicle as it left the rally and then a big blast occurred.”
If you’re interested, the first radio reports on the assassination of John F. Kennedy said that he was shot and wounded, but not killed – even though he had taken a bullet in the head.
“Karachi, 27 Dec. (AKI) – (by Syed Saleem Shahzad) –
A spokesperson for the al-Qaeda terrorist network has claimed responsibility for the death on Thursday of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
“We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat [the] mujahadeen,” Al-Qaeda’s commander and main spokesperson Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid told Adnkronos International (AKI) in a phone call from an unknown location, speaking in faltering English. Al-Yazid is the main al-Qaeda commander in Afghanistan.”
“Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods, for theirs (in return) is the Garden (of Paradise ): They fight in His Cause, and slay and are slain” (Quran 9/111).
Wholly based on their foundationally violent ideology, they are commanded and rewarded to do these attrocities.
“…. Although we were dishonored by them beyond human endurance, and had to put with their fabrications, yet we behaved like him who is depicted by the inspired writer, “But I am as a deaf man, I hear not, and I am as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.” – Maimonides
“Just over 800 years later, ignoring Maimonides sadly timeless observation about such feckless appeasement of Islamic supremacism—as the Israeli, most notably, and US governments are so wont to do—is truly “Meshugga,” with all the modern and ancient connotations of the expression.” – Andrew Bostom, from his new book, The Legacy of Islamic Anti-Semitism.