MUMBAI AND THANE, INDIA – Religion is a sensitive, personal thing that many hold dearly, but trying to kill others over perceived ‘insults’ is not ok.
Faith is an interesting phenomenon, isn’t it? It can bring us to the heights of achievement and the depths of violence. More people do both great – and not-so-great – things in the name of religion than anything else I’d bet.
One aspect I have always found fascinating is the use of violence to punish someone for an insult (real or perceived) against one’s deity/inspiration. It is as if an adherent knows what offends or hurts the feelings of the superior being and wants to make sure the perpetrator does not do it again.
Today’s featured attack is a good example to my mind.
On this day in 2008
A crude bomb went off in a theatre in Mumbai, India: fortunately no one was killed or injured. Two men claiming affiliation to an organisation called the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti said the attack was retribution for a movie which they maintained caricaturised Hindu deities and insulted Hindu sentiments
They have been booked under the Indian Penal Code for attempt to murder, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means, and voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous means, and under the Explosives Substances Act.
Police statement
The Hindu group had earlier staged protests against the screening of the movie. Apparently those protests were not seen as effective enough and so a bomb was placed.
I wonder what the Hindu gods thought of all this?
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