Killing in the Name of God

Three bombs.

It’s… Somehow, I have this feeling of being infuriated over what happened. It is appalling, of course. Any terrorist act is appalling because of its sheer disregard for the sanctity of life. Warfare is one thing, but the intentional targeting of civilians, no matter the reasoning, is something that is so… inhumane no words are fit to describe the anguish and anger terrorism brings.

And, like I said, it’s also so very infuriating. When I logged off my computer this evening, the peso was on a roll again, standing at 54.56 to a dollar. And despite the impending downgrade by Moody’s, there’s an upbeat feeling to the economy, that we’re well on the way to recovering. A long road to go, perhaps, but we’re on the way.

Now this.

This is hard. People and foreign capital tend to fly in panic like geese hearing a gunshot at such events. There were several clips of foreigners leaving because of the blasts but, then, a shot of a couple of foreigners leaving – for one reason or another, and may not even be connected with he bombing! – can make it look like a herd is doing so. Kainis. Media tend to blow things out of proportion, pun not intended.

And because there is a perception being presented in the media thus, some capital will be lost at the opening of trading later.

Kainis.

Abu Sayyaf claimed the bombing. Part of me wants to say its convenient, but it seems to match their MO. Strangely, though, except for the GenSan bombing, the one in the Metro – which would have done the most damage, it being the financial and political capital of the country – exploded in a not-so-busy (comparatively speaking) area of Ayala Center. God knows there were other targets, but who knows the mind of a terrorist?

What we do know about terrorist thinking is also quite appalling. Here’s what the Abus said when they claimed the bombings:

"We will find any means to inflict more harm to your people's lives and properties, Allah willing," he said in a statement read over the telephone.

"We will not stop until we get justice for the countless Muslim lives and properties that your people have destroyed. May the almighty Allah punish your nation again through our hands."

What’s more appalling than people killing other people than doing it in the name of God? It’s so… contrary. “Allah willing?” Do these radicals mean that Allah is happy when one of His Faithful offers the blood of innocents as a sign of their devotion to him? I may be Catholic, but I don’t think that’s the Allah that the Qu’ran teaches.

Why?

And why can’t we destroy these animals once and for all?