Sunday, March 15, 2015

Church Bombings in Lahore kill dozens

Dozens are left dead in a predominately Christian section of the city of Lahore in the wealthy province of Punjab. In a synchronized suicide bombing attack on a Catholic church during a heavily packed Sunday service. A Taliban splinter group claims responsibility for the attack. After the bombing protests by the small Christian minority began to ensue that then lead to violent mob behavior. A man thought to be linked to the attack was burned to death and another was nearly beaten to death in an attempted lynching by the crowd of angry Pakistani Christians.    
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is the 6th largest country in the world home to around 196 million people the nation was formed in 1956 when Pakistan gained independence from India. With a religious makeup of around 97% muslim, attacks on religious minorities are sadly not that uncommon. Violence in this part of Pakistan is however more uncommon than in other parts, but due to the government's failure to hold peaceful dialogue with Taliban leaders violence has become even more common and has spread to all corners of the country. Given Pakistan's nascency and freshly gained independence violence and internal issues regarding insurgency should almost be expected. I like to think of the United States' own history, we didn't have a cooperative comprehensive government until after the civil war 78 years after our own struggle for independence -- and we still struggle to form a more perfect union. Pakistan has only been in existence for 59 years. Rome was not built in a day.

Adam D. Sothen

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/3/15/pakistan-christian.html        

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