10 KILLED, 100 WOUNDED
IN NIGERIA CHURCH BOMBING
www.bbc.co.uk - At least ten
people have been killed and dozens injured in a suicide bombing during
Mass at a Catholic church in northern Nigeria, officials say. An
explosive-laden vehicle drove into the church and detonated its load,
ripping a hole in the wall and roof. The attack happened in Kaduna,
which has been targeted by Islamist militant group Boko Haram in the
recent past.
President Goodluck Jonathan
promised to “redouble” his government's efforts to tackle terrorism and
violence. He called the attack part of an “unfortunate and unacceptable
trend that threatens the peace and stability of our nation”.
A
spokesman for the local governor has called for calm, pleading with
people on local radio not to retaliate. Authorities said that Christian
youths attacked a vehicle that had come to rescue survivors after the
attack, smashing one of the windows.
Unconfirmed
reports said at least two people were killed in reprisal attacks by
Christians after the bombing. No group has said it carried out the
bombing. The attack happened at St Rita's church in the Malali
neighbourhood of the city. The vehicle had been stopped at the security
gate outside the church. The driver initially reversed, but then
careered straight through the church wall and detonated the bomb.
Members of the choir are thought to be among the dead and injured.
The church was surrounded by soldiers and police after the blast, and ambulances were taking the injured to hospital.
Nigeria's
north has a large Muslim majority whereas the south is most populated
by Christians and those who follow traditional religions. Kaduna is on
the dividing line between the two areas. The BBC's Will Ross in Kaduna
says many people have come to the city in recent months in search of
sanctuary from violence in other parts of northern Nigeria.
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A
suicide bomber rammed an SUV loaded with explosives into a Catholic
church holding Mass on Sunday in northern Nigeria. The church attack
left at least seven people dead in addition to the bomber, while at
least three people were killed and more than 100 others were wounded in
reprisal violence in the city. Islamist militant group Boko Haram is
fighting to overthrow the government and impose the sharia, an extreme
form of Islamic law. The group has said it carried out previous attacks
on churches in Kaduna state in June. At least 50 people were killed in
the bombings and the reprisals that followed. Religious intolerance
should always be avoided, it is the source of hatred and sectarian
violence against other manifestations of faith toward God.
WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?
Dharmists
(those who follow Sanatana-dharma, the Vedic path) often welcome other
religions, as in the way we have seen so many that have settled in India
and made it their home, such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, the
Parsis, Jews, Zoroastrians, Sikhs, Baha’i, etc. While Christians and
Muslims, on the other hand, have a vast history of destroying any other
culture or people in whichever land they invaded. This is a profound
difference that history cannot deny. Intolerance kills. So, we can see
the liberality, kindness and openness of Dharmists, yet in any Muslim
country, they allow but one religion to flourish, and any other religion
must practice undercover, or they are persecuted and driven out or even
thrown into prison, just as we are seeing many Hindus and Christians
being driven out of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, etc.
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