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TERROR ATTACK ON MUMBAI

A Prayerful Reflection

We can hardly measure the cost to the human spirit and our sense of well-being as we witness the mayhem and uncertainty caused by the yet-unidentified terrorists who carried out the attacks last week on India’s nerve center, the financial and commercial capital Mumbai. The terrorist attacks across ten sites including The Taj Mahal Palace and Oberoi-Trident Hotels, Chabad-Lubavitch Headquarters, Chhatrapati Shivajee Train Station, Cama hospital, the famous Leopold’s, a major tourist gathering place have left over 175 dead and nearly four hundred injured. The attack has left tragic scars, memories and pain of carnage at each site in Mumbai, and sent shockwaves through world capitals. Indian sources are placing the blame on a Pakistan-based militant group Lashker-e-Taiba as the prime suspect of this horrible crime and murderous rampage.

The scope of the attack on Mumbai and other world capitals, vulnerable institutions and sites around the world in recent years suggests massive failures on the part of authorities. These attacks also remind us of the tremendous planning, cunning, determination, and sophistication on the part of the enemies of civilization to cause maximum havoc and disruption to life, liberty, and peace.

Among the innocents dead in this latest Mumbai attack in Mumbai are people from many nationalities - Australia, Great Briton, Italy, Germany, Israel, Canada, Singapore, India, and several Americans, including young Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife Rivkah who managed the Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish Center in Mumbai, and Alan Scherr of Virginia and his thirteen-year old daughter Naomi who were in India with The Synchronicity Foundation group to visit meditation centers and spiritual teachers. In so many ways, we are all victims of this terrible crime against humanity as we watched this nightmare unfold before our eyes for three days. Our hearts and prayers go to each family devastated by this horrific attack, to the people of India, and to the nations whose citizens suffered in this tragedy. We grieve for all those adversely affected by these tragic events in Mumbai and pray that humanity may be able to prevent such tragedies in the future. We mourn for the loss to all humanity of so many beautiful and promising dreams of so many as their lives abruptly and tragically ended because they happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

In an increasingly interdependent world, an attack on Mumbai, India; Madrid, Spain; Bali,
Indonesia; London, England; Moscow, Russia; and New York City, USA are an attack on the entire human civilization. Terrorism is an open assault on civilized sacred rights and values, democratic institutions, and way of life and peaceful resolution of outstanding legitimate conflicts. Its principle aim is to spread fear, panic, and inflict maximum harm to life, liberty, and peaceful coexistence. The terrorists engage in acts of horrendous violence, under the pretext of unattended grievances, taking cover under misplaced ideology that disregards the unconscionable outrage against innocents, and blatantly violate the norms of faith doctrines, morality, and acceptable conduct.

The world is beginning to see terrorism and the terrorists as a growing cancer on human civilization and recognize that nations must unite to confront it with well-thought-out initiatives and counter terrorism strategies, sophisticated intelligence assets and other needed resources at it command. We are witnessing unprecedented cooperation, concern, and support from many nations in this dark hour for India. We are also seeing Indian emotions and Indian anger rise against its neighbor and nuclear archrival Pakistan for harboring these terror groups. The greater tragedy would be a military confrontation between these two countries and we cannot even begin to imagine its devastating impact on the Indian Sub-Continent and the rest of the world. We hope and pray that India will aggressively pursue every diplomatic channel and other avenues to resolve this crisis and bring the guilty to justice. That would be the best testimony of India’s strength and maturity as an emerging Asian Superpower.

Kanwal Prakash “KP” Singh
Indianapolis, Indiana USA



 

 


“KP” Singh,
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