Posted September 26, 2008
Most of the 60 dead and over 250 injured as a result of suicide attack on a five-star Marriott Hotel in Islamabad were security guards and drivers.
It is been reported by Daily News International today on 21 September that Americans shifted some mysterious steel boxes on 19 September on the 4,5 floor of this Marriott Hotel, the hotel that hosts most of the VIPs.
It seems that the religious fundamentalists got hold of this information and attacked. The hotel is almost completely burnt and the whole areas has suffered massive destruction.
The security guards who were the first victims of this suicide attack by fanatics. They normally work on contract and are paid no more than Rupees 6000 ($80) a month for a 12-hour a day.
The second victims were the drivers who had driven the bosses to this hotel and were waiting at the main gate. Drivers are paid less than Rupees 8000 ($100) a month for being on call almost 24 hours a day.
The electronic media reported that governmental officials are secretly saying that they are relieved that no VIP is among the casualties. The other injured included the crew from the Saudi Arabian airlines. Two American are also reportedly killed.
The workers and “ordinary” people are paying the price of the militarist mentality of American imperialism, their cronies and the religious fanatics. Both should be condemned. There is nothing “anti-imperialist” in the actions of the religious fundamentalists. Neither their action nor the bombing and military action on the “hideouts” of the religious fanatics has any element of a progressive ideology.
It is a war of the bulls. These are confrontations of the mad, the insane, the fanatical. Both must be the center of our anger and hate.
There is no way to eliminate religious fanaticism through military means. Neither can fanatics win by suicidal attacks and bomb blasts. Both tactics are one and the same. Both are playing havoc with the lives of the workers.
Religion must not be the base of the state. There should be full religious freedom and full freedom for those who do not have any religion. Religion must be a private matter.
The imperialist forces and Pakistan government must immediately stop all military action. No one is above the law. No one should be disappeared. NATO forces must leave Afghanistan and Allied forces leave Iraq. Without halting military action we will not be able to deal with the killing fields.
Workers of the whole world must unite and act against imperialism and religious fundamentalism.