Shias targeted in a blast in Karachi...

by Salman Hameed

The spiral of violence is continuing in Pakistan. This time there is a car bomb that leveled off two buildings in a shia-dominated neighborhood in Karachi, killing 45 people and injuring 150. It is increasingly becoming an open season on minorities, but shias have been bearing most of the brunt for the past few months. All of this is sad and painful and these kinds of attacks are reminding me more and of Iraq (see this earlier post: Is Pakistan Spiraling Down the Way of Iraq?).

Interestingly, we had Darrin McMahon as our speaker just this past Thursday and he gave an fascinating talk on the history of happiness. But at dinner, he mentioned that he had visited Karachi in 1991 - and absolutely loved it. In fact, he said that it reminded him a bit of the culture in southern Spain, where he has spent a considerable amount of time. What he remembered most was the warmth of people welcoming him in Karachi and his visits to a number of mosques in the city. And then he said that he misses that Karachi. Me too.

Coupe of items. Here is a song Khoon (Blood) by the band Topi Drama about the recent killings of shias in Pakistan (tip from Faisal Irshad):


Topi Drama - Khoon Hai from Topi Drama on Vimeo.

Also, if you are in Karachi, there is a protest gathering on Monday at 1:00pm: