17 killed in Pak sectarian battle for a shrine

[ECH1969]

Seventeen people have been killed during fighting between Sunni and Shia tribesmen over ownership of a shrine in northwest Pakistan, security officials said yesterday.

The tribes exchanged gun, rocket and mortar fire after the dispute erupted several days ago over the holy site in the restive Orakzai tribal district, a senior security official told AFP.

"We have a large presence of security personnel over there and we are trying to restore order," the official said on condition of anonymity.

Officials said the trouble broke out when clerics from the rival sects both tried to occupy the shrine, with each side claiming it belonged to them.

http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/10/07/d61007014123.htm

[krispos42]

1. And so it begins to spread....

Ah, shit.

[Igel]

2. What 'begins'?

Been going on for a while now. It's just that the killings of Shi'a by Sunnis, and Sunnis by Shi'a, only appeal to American readers now that we see it happening around our troops in Iraq, and have seen hints of it in Lebanon.

There was a large spate of Shi'ite doctors being killed by Sunnis before 2003, with counterattacks from time to time. Really Big News ... in Pakistan. Here, we couldn't have cared less.

Tribalism and communalism ... that's what it breeds, pretty much unending internecine strife. Really loathsome stuff.

[ECH1969]

3. But, why do Sunnis and Shia see the need to kill each other?

[seriousstan]

5. The endless circle of revenge. Grudges 1000's of years old.

They make the Hatfields and McCoys like like half-serious wannabes.

[krispos42]

7. Why because the other side is wrong, of course. n/t

[seriousstan]

4. Begins? Bullshit! The shrine of has been disputed for the last 150 yrs.

It is the shrine of Mian Anwar Shah.

[krispos42]

9. I don't doubt it has been disputed for a while

but how long have they been killing each other over it? How badly is the Sunni-on-Shia violence in Iraq bringing their religious differences to the forefront of daily life? How easier is the violence in Iraq making picking up a gun or a rocket launcher and fighting for those differences?

That is what I am worried about.

[mc jazz]

6. he's right it's spreading

i heard the only people the irish hate more than the british is the irish. i recon however if the us withdraws it would help, it's this alien presence that is fueling the hatred. the us could do a deal with mid-east nations to watch over iraq and station their troops there if they leave
if they don't then the whole place goes up in smoke which will lose the war for good. we'll get used to it though, like a hot tub

mazz

[fujiyama]

8. The US isn't occupying Pakistan and Pakistan isn't in the mid East

This ethnic hatred may have increased over the last few years but it surely didn't just "begin".

It has been going on for many years now. Pakistan has had a lot of ethnic strife and conflict between Shiites and Sunnis. Hell, I remember once a Pakistani diplomat was asked about minorities and he said "yes we have Shiites" (of course neglecting the fact that they basically ethnically cleansed all others like Sihks and Hindus out of the country).

And of course the Shiites themselves are treated like shit in the country.