Religious Extremist Attacks in India

In what is yet another example of the horrors that are done in the name of religious belief, it appears - yet is still not yet fully confirmed - that the attacks in Mumbai, India, which have left over 140 dead and many wounded were the work on Islamic extremists. Once again, fundamentalist religious belief is used as an excuse for evil actions shows itself to be a great evil as opposed to a force for good. Religious extremists of all stripes truly sicken me. Would that allegedly pious religious followers held some remote sense of compassion for their fellow humans. I am sure some of my many clients from India are worried about family members in Mumbai. The New York Times has more on these barbaric attacks. Here are some highlights:
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MUMBAI, India — As the crisis in Mumbai neared its 48th hour, Indian commandos were battling to overcome stubborn resistance by militants on Friday, seeking to end the bloody assault on India’s financial and entertainment capital that has shaken the nation and raised perilous regional tensions with Pakistan.

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Shortly before night settled over the stricken city, the police said the death toll had reached 143 with the discovery of 24 bodies in the luxury Oberoi hotel, where guests were set free on Friday after being holed up in their rooms as security forces re-asserted control of the building.

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Indian security forces claimed some success in rescuing hostages from the five-star Oberoi hotel but still appeared to be encountering resistance inside the ornate, turreted Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel. The hotels were two of several of the city’s landmarks hit by the attackers late on Wednesday. . . . In addition to the Jewish center and the hotels, the attackers, armed with grenades and automatic weapons, struck at least four other sites on Mumbai’s southern tip — the main train station, a hospital, a cinema and a historic cafe.

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While there was still no definitive word on the identity or affiliation of the attackers, an Indian official said one assailant had been captured alive and was a Pakistani citizen. . . . The suspicions raised by the attack seemed a blow to relations between India and Pakistan, which had been recovering from a low earlier this year after India blamed the Pakistani intelligence agency for abetting the bombing of the Indian Embassy in Afghanistan. India has frequently accused Pakistan-based militant groups of fueling terrorist attacks on Indian soil, though lately it has also acknowledged the presence of homegrown Muslim and Hindu militant organizations.