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March 29, 2024
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EditorialAfter the synagogue standoff

After the synagogue standoff

No sane section of society will validate the hostage incident of a Colleyville synagogue; without any doubt it is an act of terrorism and profound evil. The coming days will ascertain the motives of the hostage taker, whose family had migrated from Pakistan to the UK almost five decades ago. The apparent motive of the man, now killed after a standoff, was the release of Afia Siddiqui, an American-Pakistani doctor, now convicted of terror charges and serving jail term in a jail in the US. Thankfully, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation has identified the hostage-taker as a 44-year-old British citizen, Malik Faisal Akram. Pakistan often gets bad press because of such lone wolf’s acts when the suspects are reported to have links with Pakistan. Inspired by radical, extremist Islamists, such individuals take extreme steps, often bringing bad name to Islam, Pakistan and their families. In this case too, Malik Faisal’s family has expressed shock over the incident, saying “We are absolutely devastated as a family…we, as a family, do not condone any of his actions and would like to sincerely apologize wholeheartedly to all the victims involved in the unfortunate incident”. Similarly, the lawyer who represents Dr Afia Siddiqui has also disowned the incident, saying her client has no involvement with the attacker.

There are certain factions in our part of the world who may celebrate such acts of violence as a show of protest against the unjust policies of the US which support Israeli aggression against Palestinians. Similarly, several people in Pakistan see Dr Afia Siddiqui innocent. Such people should remember that their complaints about American and Israeli governments’ actions do not stem from the actions of the people worshipping in the synagogue. But the US and Israel should reflect over their actions. It is true that the Colleyville congregants are innocent in this issue and they have no connection with the case of Afia Siddiqui, but hostage takers like Faisal Malik find easy preys to express their anger to the quarters concerned. The hostage taking of people on the basis of their religion is also never justified. The trend of attacking the places of worship is rising all over the world. Now when the synagogue standoff is over and the people held hostage for hours are home, safe and sound, the world should turn their attention towards the lingering issue of Palestine. The world with a two-state solution, will be peaceful.

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