Suicide bomber kills 7 of his own family in Iraq

BAGHDAD (AP) — A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged belt at a gathering of his own family in western Iraq, killing his pro-government cousin and six other relatives, officials said Saturday.

The blast targeting a leader in the Sahwa militias in the city of Ramadi is a reminder of how extremism still divides Iraq's Sunni Muslim minority, with some working with al-Qaida-linked insurgents against others who support the Shiite-led government.

The killing is part of a surge in violence six months after the last American troops withdrew.

The bomber entered the home of his cousin, the local Sahwa leader, on Friday night as the extended family was gathered for a meal, said a police official in Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, 115 kilometers (70 miles) west of Baghdad.

He approached the militiaman and detonated his explosives, killing his target as well as his wife, three of their teenage children, his brother and another relative, said the official. He could provide no other details including the number of wounded..

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Man what is wrong with these people. If you can even call them people.

I mean seriously, killing your own family becase of a difference of opinion

reply to post by liejunkie01


I think it's best to have compassion, no matter the circumstances, no matter the judgements we make.

I'm sure these people often look at outsiders of their own world, at what our priorities are, on what are culture is, on what we relate to, and wonder..."are they even people? have they forgotten?"

Let us overcome our judgements. Of course this is not 'right,' but is it 'right' to give hatred in return? What happened to empathy? Compassion?

Do you not think children cried when the dust settled? Do you not think people ran in terror? Do you not think they mourn as they bury their dead? Do you not think they had trouble sleeping that night, or the next or the next? Do you really think they have lost all semblance of human emotion? How separate must we become ourselves before we see others as 'non-human?'

I pray for everyone involved in this event; the family, their friends, and the bomber.

reply to post by eleven44

I pray for everyone involved in this event; the family, their friends, and the bomber.

The bomber was also praying as he blew up his family.

Since you seem pretty deeply religous I will leave it at that.

I think that anyone who kills innocent people, especially his family does not deserve any compassion.

reply to post by liejunkie01


I seem deeply religious? Nope. I make no claim to any religion. No doctrines. No 'traditions.'

I recommend you do some personal searching/researching however on the power of the mind, thought, and prayer. I also recommend you practice forgiveness, compassion and empathy.

If you think love, forgiveness, compassion and empathy are only for confused people who adhere to religions you disagree with....well then i'm not sure I agree with your outlook on life.

Anger, hatred, contempt, spite, fear, separation...it's all the same thing, does the same thing to the body and mind. It weighs you down. Makes your heart heavy. Creates disease and disillusionment.

There is a spirit (aka Life) that runs through us all. Same spirit, same force, same energy. If you open yourself to forgiveness, love and compassion you will create a brand new world, not just for yourself, but for everyone.

I think you have some contempt for people who follow strict dogma, going even at lengths to kill others or judge others or condemn others to hell. I do none of the above. But just because some people who claim a belief in "God" do some of those actions (kill, hate, judge, condemn) does NOT mean that those people have even a shred of a clue of what God is or how we are meant to live according to the laws of the Universe.

Go about your anger and your judgement. Hopefully you'll eventually see that A) it won't get you very far and B) you're not really much different than those look down upon for their judgements/beliefs and fears.

But genuinely, best of luck. I would have been angry too at one point in my past. I'm a much happier person now, though.

reply to post by eleven44



Really? pulling the feel good crap in regards to this is just absurd.

I'm sure your happy little rainbow colored world would turn fecal brown if something similar happened to your immediate family. I'm sure you would be just up to the brim with positivity and forgiveness if you were a survivor of this event.

reply to post by eleven44

I seem deeply religious? Nope. I make no claim to any religion. No doctrines. No 'traditions.'

Are you confused?

Here is what you said in the post above.

I pray for everyone involved in this event; the family, their friends, and the bomber

I am under the impression that religous people pray.

reply to post by eleven44


And what's the solution to all this ? Keep turning the other cheek till your head is blown off ? I try to be compassionate and see other peoples point of view for example when someone cuts me off in traffic or a cashier or salesperson who is cold or unfriendly , I let it go and figure there just having a bad day instead of complaining and ruining my day . But having your family killed because of different religious beliefs ? These people need to be wiped off the face of the planet !! I would like to hear your reaction to having your your family killed for some insane reason !!

reply to post by Retikx


reply to post by liejunkie01


reply to post by rick004


Retikx - My entire world isn't rainbow covered...not yet at least. But do not try to pretend that what you know about yourself is what you know about me. Seems to me we have vastly different views on the world. Every single situation I run in to, especially if I catch myself getting angry, offended, or negative in any way...I ask myself, 'What's the lesson here?' Maybe the lesson is that I need to keep calm, maybe it's that I need to take positive action, maybe it's that I need to learn how to forgive? Who knows? That's up to you. But I guarantee the lesson will not be, 'How do I get revenge? How do I hurt this person? How do I belittle someone? What's the best way to be angry?' It's not just about 'feeling good' and all that 'crap.' It's about understanding what needs to happen for the betterment of ourselves, aka the entire world.
Letting go of the anger does not mean giving up on the solution.

liejunkie - Perhaps your definitions are different than mine. Prayer is thought. It is the power of thought. Setting intention. Acknowledging what type of energy your are vibrating and in which direction you are sending it is key to understanding our connection to all things. Yes I believe in Creator/God. Yes I believe in Love. Yes I believe in enlightenment and disillusionment. This does not mean i'm Christian, Islam, Mormon, Hindu, Satanist, etc. I'm just a guy who realized that the entire power of the universe runs through my veins...as well as yours and everyone elses. I'm thankful for every moment I'm alive and even acknowledging that gratefulness is a prayer within itself. Wishing someone well is a prayer. Smiling because it's beautiful outside is a prayer. Concentrating on being healthy is a prayer. Walking around quietly can be a prayer. God requires no religion. This is a common misconception and is ultimately keeping people from the truth.

rick004 - The Christian passage of 'turn the other cheek' and 'do not resist' are poor translations that have lost their original meaning. Christ taught of non-violence, not of being a pacifist who lets evil run rampant. To 'turn the other cheek' meant to not allow someone to strike you with the back of their hand, which was/is considered more of a degrading insult even more than a physical assault. You know, like a 'pimp slap.' Jesus simply said, "If someone pimp slaps you, reposition yourself so they can not backhand you again, but continue to stand your ground.' Need I point out the irony or hypocrisy you represent by stating, 'These people need to be wiped off the face of the planet' in regards to the fact that they....wiped people off the face of the planet for the same reasons? It's inherently flawed logic. How do we teach people that killing people is wrong if we kill people who kill people? Is it okay to kill people when your government tells you to do it? Where does that sense of morality come from?

I believe you guys should also look in to how many Jewish families/people were able to completely forgive the Nazi's for their crimes. There are many other instances of people being compassionate enough to forgive those who have harmed them in the worst, seemingly 'unforgivable' ways.

I know people don't like the truth. They hate it even. They need justification for the anger they feel. For the separation they feel. That's why we kill most of the messengers who come speaking of Love, compassion and empathy. Ironic, eh?

Good luck.

reply to post by eleven44


I do apologize and You are right in the fact that violence and revenge is not the answer ! But You failed to comment on what Your reaction would be if your family was killed for a senseless reason ?

reply to post by rick004


No worries, I definitely understand letting emotion carry you away! I've gotten much much angrier over things in the past...again though, my anger is something I'm working daily on relieving.

What would I do if my family were killed?

I do not know and I hope I never have to find out.
I'm sure the initial grieving process would be about the same as many/most: anger, confusion, sorrow, tears, depression, etc. How long this process would take, I'm not sure.

But, as i mentioned earlier, the moment I am able to catch my breath long enough to realize that my hatred, anger, fear, etc, is getting in the way of the 'now' and of my personal happiness/enlightenment, then I would force myself to find the gift hidden within. I believe there is always a gift hidden within. If the ultimate goal is to be 'happy,' that is, to be enlightened and fulfilled...why let anything get in the way? Thus, the incident would then serve as a stepping stone. I would challenge myself to forgive, challenge myself to let go and to move onwards and upwards, challenge myself to still have faith in a decent world. If one is able to overcome such horrible events, what else will ever be able to stop you? Nothing will be left to get in your way. You overcame it already. It requires an entire reprogramming of how most of us currently see the world...but I believe everything put 'in our way' is really just a gift in disguise to help us learn the lessons we need to learn to obtain enlightenment.

Cheers.

reply to post by eleven44


How would your reasoning apply if You were faced with protecting yourself and Your family if there comes a time when You bow down to Islam or die ?

reply to post by rick004


If it came down to physically protecting myself or the ones I love, I would absolutely.

I believe it is natural instinct to protect oneself.
I do not believe it is natural to wish harm to others. I believe that is a learned behavior and is reflective of our society.
I have been put into a position where I have been physically attacked at least twice in my life. Both times I pinned the person on the ground until they stopped and purposely did no excessive harm (no punches to the face or anything.)

reply to post by eleven44

The planet would do well with a few more with your morals !! My hat goes off to You !

reply to post by rick004


Thanks, rick.

The world would do a lot better with people, such as yourself, capable of having a back-and-forth dialogue, trying to understand each other .without going for the throat.
ATS could use some more, thats for sure!

Have a great day

reply to post by eleven44


There's far to much " attack first ask questions later " attitudes on ATS and a lot of good threads and conversation go by the wayside !! All the best !!