Mainstream media "shocked, simply shocked" at violence in mosques

A suicide bomber dressed as a policeman blew himself up inside a mosque in Kandahar yesterday during a prayer service, killing nineteen people and maiming dozens more. A New York Times reporter speaking on NPR's Morning Edition described the tragedy with a touch of weariness in her voice, and then said: "It is particularly shocking in this religious country that it [the bombing] was in a mosque."

Shocking to whom? Toddlers and the senile might legitimately claim to be shocked, but anyone who's been paying attention for the last decade cannot.

Later in the morning, the BBC World Service Newshour asserted that there has not been a bomb attack on a mosque in Afghanistan in three years. The BBC apparently doesn't count the deadly bombings at mosques in January of 2005 and July of 2004. Perhaps they don't know about them or don't know what "three years" means. In either case, they should take the words "world," "service" and "news" out of their name and just call themselves "hour" ... if they can remember how long an hour is.

Here are some other recent attacks on mosques in Afghanistan (each one is also a link to the relevant news or human rights report):

Shiberghan, Afghanistan--January 20, 2005--2 Killed

Sar Marda, Afghanistan--January 16, 2005--3 Wounded

Ghazni, Afghanistan--July 28, 2004--6 Killed

Herat, Afghanistan--May 5, 2001--10 Killed

Yakaolang, Afghanistan--March 8, 2001--71 Killed

And just a sampling of the numerous attacks by Muslims on mosques in other places around the world:

Karachi, Pakistan--May 30, 2005--1 Killed

Baghdad, Iraq--April 22, 2005--9 Killed

Mosul, Iraq--March 10, 2005--Around 40 Killed

Baghdad, Iraq--February 18, 2005--17 Killed

Baghdad, Iraq--January 21, 2005--15 Killed

Quetta, Pakistan--July 4, 2003--53 Killed

Najaf, Iraq--August 30, 2003--124 Killed

And let's not overlook the November, 1979 attack on the "holiest" place in all Islam--the Grand Mosque in Mecca. More than 250 people were killed.

Anything close to thoughtful examination of the facts reveals that attacks on mosques are not uncommon. The persistent image of mosques as a refuges from hatred and violence is nothing more than Islamist obfuscation mixed with Western leftist self-deception.