The month of Ramadan has caused significant violence within the Middle East. This month is a religious fasting period within the Muslim calendar year. Today, a suicide bombing within the Karrada district of Baghdad took place, killing 20 people and injuring around 72. This attack proceeded after a vehicle filled with detonating devices exploded near a heavily populated market and mosque in Baghdad. The exploding vehicle caused around a dozen deaths as well as wounding around 35 civilians. This mostly Shiite area was attacked due to the large amount of Muslims located here, celebrating Iftar, which is the period their fasting ends. In Southwestern Baghdad, a detonated car traveling on a bridge killed the driver and an innocent bystander. There were also several more attacks throughout the region including shooting sprees and an attack upon the mayor of a Kurdish town, Ahmed al-Zarqoushi. Although this was an alarming day of events, it is incomparable to last year’s ethnic disputes, which displayed around 800 attacks of the same manner. Reports say these attacks have seen a ten percent decrease. Nonetheless, violence in the Middle East is only getting worse with increased patriotism in the more violent sects of the Muslim religion. Not only is this obviously affecting the United States, but ethnic disputes are increasing within the Muslim community. This issue can be double-sided even through a sociological perspective. One must ask themselves what is the appropriate response to such horrific violence and hatred for other cultures. Some feel that intervention is completely necessary while others trudge towards a path of isolation among the violence. In either circumstance, it has become the problematic equation of our generation.
LINK: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/09/28/iraq.main/index.html
1 comment:
Although it is tragic that people are dying needlessly in Iraq because of our actions, it is hard not to be sanitized to these types of events. For five years now, American involvement in this pointless war has killed so many people from our side and theirs.
The sentence: "This mostly Shiite area was attacked due to the large amount of Muslims located here, celebrating Iftar, which is the period their fasting ends." does not make any sense to me. Since Shiites are Muslim, how does that affect the number of violent attacks in that area? If the comment meant that a large number of Shiites celebrating Iftar increased the number of attacks, that also seems odd. If they aren't fasting anymore, why would that increase violence?
Also, the end of the post contradicts itself; if the Middle East is getting more violent and patriotism is causing an uproar, why did the comment state that the actual number of attacks and deaths this time last year was much higher?
Post a Comment