Religion, Nationalism, and Terror

Dichter: Prof attack takes us back to days of Rabin assassination - Haaretz, September 26, 2008

By Shahar Ilan and Roni Singer-Heruti, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service

Public Security Minister Avi Dichter joined senior political officials on Thursday in condemning a pipe bomb attack on the home of left-wing activist and Haaretz columnist Professor Ze’ev Sternhell, saying that the incident called to mind the days of the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin.

Dichter described the event, which left Sternhell lightly wounded, an “assassination attempt” and a “nationalistic terror attack perpetrated, in all likelihood, by Jews, which pushes our society many years backward.”

Speaking at a police ceremony in Netanya, Dichter added that “the pipe bomb that was planted yesterday should be viewed as a bomb meant to kill. The law enforcement authorities will not rest until the terrorists are put where they belong ? [sic] in prison.”

Police suspect Jewish extremists of having carried out the pipe bomb attack earlier in the day. Sternhell walked out of his home in a quiet Jerusalem neighborhood shortly after midnight to shut a courtyard gate when the bomb went off, lightly wounding him in one of his legs, Jerusalem police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby said.

“We believe the background is ideological,” police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

Sternhell, an internationally renowned expert on the history of fascism, was awarded the country’s highest honor, the Israel Prize, earlier this year. The award drew fire from West Bank settlers and their supporters, who unsuccessfully petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court to try to block it.

BBC NEWS, Orissa tense after church attack, BBC, September 25, 2008

Orissa has seen weeks of violence

Hindu mobs have vandalised a church and dozens of houses in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, police say.

The overnight attacks took place in the Tikabali and Daringbadi areas of Kandhamal district, police said.

The area has witnessed a fresh bout of violence since Tuesday when police shot dead a protester in the town of Raikia.

Orissa has seen anti-Christian violence for several weeks. At least 20 people, mostly Christians, were killed after a Hindu religious leader was shot dead.

Hindus groups have long accused Christian priests of bribing poor tribes and low-caste Hindus to convert to Christianity.

Christians say lower-caste Hindus convert willingly to escape the Hindu caste system.

Blocked roads

About 20 houses were attacked in the Shankarakhol area and at least three churches were burnt in Simanbadi on Wednesday, senior police officer in Kandhamal, Praveen Kumar, told the BBC.

Police said mobs burnt or damaged at least 40 houses in overnight attacks.