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July 4, 2003 - Terrorist attack on Hazara Mosque - Quetta, Pakistan
HAZARA UNITY USA
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A CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION
NEW YORK, USA
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President Musharraf's lack of resolve and unwillingness to reign in the terrorist outfits in Pakistan, gave a convenient green light to theAl-Qaeda inspired Sepah-e Sahaba terror network to strike again, and this
time far more deadlier.
On Friday July 4, 2003, a group of terrorists, who are believed to be members of "Sepah-e Sahaba" terrorist organization, attacked the main Shiite mosque in Quetta, Pakistan with grenades and machine guns,
killing fifty three (53) of the worshipers and seriously injuring as many as sixty five (65) others, in what was one of the bloodiest act of terrorism in the history of Pakistan.
This deadly onslaught marks the second attack on the Shiite and Hazara ethnic minority in Pakistan in less than a month. It was only last month on June 8, when twelve members of the Hazara ethnic monitory were
slaughtered and nine more critically wounded by the Wahabi extremists in the outskirts of the city of Quetta in Pakistan's Balochistan Province.
Hazara Unity USA, the New York based civil rights advocacy group, expresses outrage at President Musharraf's dismal records in his handling of the June 8 terrorist attack on Hazara and Shiite minorities in
Quetta, and Hazara Unitybelieves that such failure of a swift action by his government may have played an important role in emboldening the terrorists to carry out yesterday's attack.
President Musharraf must realize that such deadly acts of terrorism are a direct challenge to the authority of his government and, if goes unchecked, will end up seriously undermining the socio-political
structure of Pakistan. Hazara Unity USA, therefore, calls on him to get his acts together and at last take decisive measures in curbing the rise of extremism, terrorism, and the culture of sectarian hate in Pakistan.
More importantly, Hazara Unity USA demands President Musharraf to live up to his government's responsibility in protecting the lives and civil rights of all minorities, and particularly of the endangered Hazara
ethnic minority in Pakistan from further attacks by Al-Qaeda style Wahabi affiliated terrorist groups in that country.
He must make genuine efforts to bring to justice not only those who are responsible for this deadly attack on the Shiite Mosque in Quetta, but also their accomplices who have infiltrated the security and law
enforcement agencies of Pakistan.
Hazara Unity USA also urges on the UN and human rights organizations to put an end to their hypocritical disregard to plight of the Hazara ethnic minority in Pakistan and the ever-increasing threats the Hazaras
face in their lives, as highlighted by the recent attacks.
The UN and other Human Rights organizations are strongly urged to press the government of Pakistan to make an all out effort and take meaningful actions against these terrorists outfits and hate groups that have
put the Hazara ethnic minority at great risks and have endangered their livelihood as a people in Pakistan.
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