Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search
 

oberliner

(58,724 posts)
Sun Mar 27, 2016, 12:28 PM Mar 2016

Suicide bomber kills at least 52, mostly women, kids in Pakistan park

A suicide bomber killed at least 52 people, mostly women and children, at a public park in the Pakistani city of Lahore on Sunday, government officials and police said, striking at the heart of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's political base of Punjab.

The blast occurred in the parking area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, a few feet away from children's swings. Around 150 people were injured in the explosion, officials said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast. Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation of 190 million people, is plagued by a Taliban insurgency, criminal gangs and sectarian violence. Punjab is its biggest and wealthiest province.

Eyewitnesses said they saw body parts strewn across the parking lot once the dust had settled after the blast.

The park had been particularly busy on Sunday evening due to the Easter holiday weekend.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-blast-idUSKCN0WT0HR

Anyone have insights into this area of Pakistan and who the most likely culprits might be?

9 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Suicide bomber kills at least 52, mostly women, kids in Pakistan park (Original Post) oberliner Mar 2016 OP
The usual suspects. Igel Mar 2016 #1
Thank you for taking the time out to post this. grossproffit Mar 2016 #4
They were celebrating Easter. grossproffit Mar 2016 #2
The Taliban. grossproffit Mar 2016 #3
Awful news 04alsabi Mar 2016 #5
The death toll has risen to 65. grossproffit Mar 2016 #6
Horrible. Glimmer of Hope Mar 2016 #7
Vibes applegrove Mar 2016 #8
... kiva Mar 2016 #9

Igel

(35,356 posts)
1. The usual suspects.
Sun Mar 27, 2016, 12:42 PM
Mar 2016

Jamiatul Islam, Tehrik whatever, other groups belonging to the originally native fundie Deobandi school of theology but now also partly Wahhabist Ahl movement that's been going for a good number of decades. The closest we can come to a way of blaming the West for it is the claim it arose in response to British rule. (Which simplifies things more than possible. Much of the problem with the Brits is that they weren't Muslim and made sure that Hindus were treated not much differently than the formerly Muslim rulers and ruling classes.)

Pakistan has a problem that goes deep: Its existence is based on Muslim nationalism and the "we need a Muslim homeland" movement that the Deobandis helped to foster and promote. But having made that their ideological mainstay, it's hard to tamp down the Muslim nationalists (or nationalist Muslims) who want a theocratic, Muslim state.

Israel has a similar problem, that we have no compunctions in condemning because it's okay to diss white educated Westerners, but in the case of Israel there's Western liberal thought with a "all men are equal" in some sense that helps to mitigate that kind of attitude. In Pakistan, "Western liberal thought" = "colonialist beliefs" for many, and there is no corresponding "all men are brothers" thinking. Theirs is a different intellectual tradition, much like pre-Enlightenment Europe's, in which those who are superior should rule and those who are lesser folk should submit. We saw that in Spain under Muslim rule; we saw that in what Spain did in Central America, to the ethnicities there.

grossproffit

(5,591 posts)
4. Thank you for taking the time out to post this.
Sun Mar 27, 2016, 01:51 PM
Mar 2016

The silence on this topic is deafening. My blood is boiling right now. The double standards are sickening.

grossproffit

(5,591 posts)
2. They were celebrating Easter.
Sun Mar 27, 2016, 01:39 PM
Mar 2016

I'm so angry that I could spit.

I've had to delete what I've posted at least a dozen times. My blood is boiling.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Suicide bomber kills at l...