Skipping a beat

While many of our Afghan workers are still away celebrating Eid al-Fitr, we're all still here working our daily grind.  What I hadn't mentioned yesterday is that Eid (and Ramadan in general) has become a favorite time of year for terrorists/insurgents to plan attacks.  The actual event during Ramadan is "Lailatul Qadr'" or Night of Destiny/Night of Power where it is believed that Allah will grant the devout whatever they wish.  Although there's some confusion and uncertainty as to the actual date of this commemoration during the month of Ramadan, but what is believed is that individuals will increase their chances of success, martyrdom, and blessings in the afterlife by taking actions during this time.  Since there are conflicting determinations on when this day actually occurs, we brace ourselves for attacks during the entire month, and especially during Eid.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laylat_al-Qadr
http://www.30-days.net/islam/basics/night-of-power/
http://library.bethlehem.edu/e-turathuna/Ramadan/index.shtml

In recent years, there has been a backlash of sentiment in the Muslim world against people taking to violence during this time, probably due to a better education of the true meaning of Islam.  According to the Quran, Ramadan is a solemn and peaceful time for sacrifice and self-reflection, to be ended by a blessed celebration of breaking the fast.  Unfortunately, certain factional leaders have perverted their religion by instructing the uneducated masses that this time is for death and destruction to all those who don't believe the way they preach.  Much in the same way that some Christian factions do with the uneducated masses in the Western world.
http://outlookafghanistan.net/editorialdetail?post_id=1701

One of our units came under a suicide attack several weeks ago in the Parwan province, presumably in accordance with their beliefs to coincide with the night of destiny/power.  It's tragic that so many of those killed were actual Afghans themselves.  But then again, an arsonist really doesn't care if the world burns as long as they can satisfy their desires.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/world/asia/15afghan.html

Afghan President Hamid Karzai celebrated Eid by sending home twenty prospective suicide bombers who had either turned themselves in or were caught before their act could be accomplished.  Why is this significant?  Because these were all children being used by the Taliban, and President Karzai sent the children home to be with their families for Eid.  What a great act of compassion and forgiveness.  The president also called for a truce to the fighting and asked the factional leaders to come to the peace table.  That remains to be seen if they accept his offer.

http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE77T1SU20110830

We had a scare of our own today.  While we were working, the fire alarm in our building went off, so everyone evacuated to the courtyard.  As we were all milling around, the air raid siren went off, which typically signals incoming IDF (Indirect Fire), which can be in the form of rocket, mortar, or missile.  Needless to say we all scrambled for cover, but within five seconds, a voice on the loud speaker announced "all clear".  Apparently the siren was a mistake.  Since it was now time for supper, most people proceeded into the DFAC, but since my heart was in my stomach, I wasn't much in the mood for food and decided to wait an hour or so.

Wow.  That took me back.  The last time I've had to take cover from IDF was in Iraq in 2007 when we had incoming rockets that passed over our transient tents in my Baghdad FOB and impacted the roof of a DFAC.  Some of you whom I wrote via email back then may remember my description and pictures of the ensuing explosion and fire.  While in Al Anbar, Iraq in 2005 at the height of the insurgency, incoming IDF was a weekly occurrence, although only a few times was it deadly accurate.  I still remember diving under tables in the DFAC being buried between my two burly NCOs and doing a duck and cover move while the walls of the giant tent did a "whoosh" in and then back out.  It's enough to make anyone remember those sounds for the rest of their life, and make their heart skip a beat every time they reoccur.

I can somewhat understand how people feel so violently opposed to something that they feel the need to take up arms, but what I don't understand is the desire to take the things that are still good in the world like holidays of happiness and pervert them to harm others. Organized religion has always been a sore spot to me, not because I'm against religion, but because religion has been used as a tool, cause or justification in the majority of bloodshed throughout our entire human history.  And organized religion dictating what to think to the uneducated masses is the culprit.  So I ask people what they believe in and why.  Do they march to the step of their own drummer or do they blindly follow the drum beat of their political and religious leaders to spread hate and intolerance for everyone who doesn't think and believe as they do.  Try educating yourself on the issues and you may find yourself skipping a beat or even marching to your own.  Enlightenment, pass it on.

More to follow.