The correct terminology is religious violence. I know it is politically incorrect to describe religion in negative terms, but how about saying it like it is for once – religious violence, which is a major (actually THE major) problem in the world today; as it has been throughout history.
As long as people love God more than man the future of our species will be in jeopardy.
By the way, the last three photographs below show a display by “peaceful” Muslims celebrating Ashura, a day of mourning, where they flagellate themselves. Brilliant! TGO
Refer to story below. Source: Reuters
DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (Reuters) – Sectarian violence spread in Pakistan on Monday after clashes between minority Shi’ite and majority Sunni Muslims near the capital Islamabad prompted the government to impose a curfew and block mobile phone services over the weekend.
Clashes confined to areas in and around the capital at the weekend spilled over on Monday into two towns in the volatile northwest.
Tensions are high this month as Shi’ites mark Muharram, an annual period of mourning which has often sparked bouts of violence.
Rawalpindi, a garrison city near Islamabad, remained under curfew and tight security for three days after a Shi’ite procession on Friday degenerated into sectarian clashes which killed at least eight people.
On Monday, a mob set shops on fire in a predominantly Shi’ite district in the northwestern town of Kohat in clashes that killed a policeman and a civilian, police said.
Tensions were high in the northwestern city of Hangu, also subject to a curfew, local media reported.
During Muharram, a period of mourning to mark the death of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, Shi’ites hold long processions where they flagellate, beat or cut themselves to show their grief.
The authorities imposed a mobile phone blackout on Rawalpindi, the seat of the Pakistani army, and parts of Islamabad over the weekend. The curfew was lifted only on Monday, but the city remained tense.
Attacks on Pakistan’s Shi’ites, who make up about a fifth of the 180 million population, have worsened in recent years.
Most of the attacks are the work of Sunni extremists affiliated with banned groups, such as the Taliban or Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, which wants to drive all Shi’ites out of Pakistan.
Hundreds of Shi’ites were killed in bombings and other attacks last year, including children gunned down on their way to school and doctors heading for work.
(Reporting by Syed Raza Hassan Writing by Maria Golovnina; Editing by Ron Popeski)
