A True Martyr.

[Kanzler]

Teen dies stopping suicide bomber at school in Pakistan

(CNN) -- A 14-year-old boy is being hailed as a hero in Pakistan for tackling a suicide bomber -- dying at the main gate of his school and saving schoolmates gathered for their morning assembly.

Ninth-grader Aitazaz Hassan Bangash was on his way to the Ibrahimzai School on Monday in the Hangu district of northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when the bomber, dressed in a school uniform, asked him where the school was, the teen's cousin told CNN.

Aitazaz and his cousin, Musadiq Ali Bangash, became suspicious, Musadiq said.

"The other students backed off, but Aitazaz challenged the bomber and tried to catch him. During the scuffle, the bomber panicked and detonated his bomb," he said.

Rajab Ali, who also witnessed the bombing, told CNN that he saw Aitazaz throw a large stone at a boy trying to enter the school. The blast happened when Aitazaz grabbed him, he said.

Aitazaz and the bomber died at the scene. Witnesses say the blast injured two other people.

Iftikhar Ahmed, a Hangu district police officer, confirmed the details of the attack to CNN.

Hangu is a troubled district bordering Pakistan's tribal areas. It is rife with sectarian violence, with attacks against Shia and Sunni Muslims.

"It was a great sacrifice to save the lives of hundreds of both Shia and Sunni students, who were in morning assembly," Musadiq said.

Aitazaz is survived by his father, Mujaad Ali Bangash, a laborer; his elder brother, Mustajab Hassan Bangash, a student in Pakistan; and three sisters.

Local residents such as Nawaz Khan are calling for Aitazaz to receive a posthumous award for his bravery. "He saved the lives of hundreds of students. He deserves more recognition than Malala Yousafzai," he said.

Pakistanis are comparing him to Malala, the schoolgirl shot by the Taliban in October 2012 for promoting education for all boys and girls.

Pakistanis on social media are praising Aitazaz's bravery, with people on Twitter asking everyone to use hastags #onemillionaitzazs or simply #aitzaz and calling for his heroism to be recognized with an award.

We don't hear much from the Middle East now that the wars have winded down, but radical Islam and militants continue to be a threat to the peace of its people. He paid the ultimate sacrifice and may his soul rest in peace.

Thoughts?

source: https://www.cnn.com/2014/01/09/world/asia/pakistan-boy-stops-suicide-bomber/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

 

[Puddle]

It just shows that the Middle East isn't some stereotypical "We hate America and like bombing things" type country. That there are people who have the same morals we have and are really just trapped under a stereotype. Just like everyone in America is fat and things like that.

I'm glad to see that there are people making a stand in the Middle East, though. It's nice to know that they are staying strong and fighting.

 

[Outlier]

A true martyr indeed. Aitazaz died a heroic death but obviously it's a shame he had to die at all. Rest in peace.

 

[Alexander Nicholi]

I can agree with River Ramirez's words. Stereotypes are logically regarded as false, but still socially regarded as some sort of unspoken fact, even though it makes zero sense. I think that it's proving what people can be like in the face of danger, and how good souls react. Hopefully he ends up in a body that lets him prove that level of selflessness tenfold over.

Also, BiS, as much as it rings true, you should really avoid putting POV in an opening post. It's just… it seems a little unprofessional. Why not post the thread and your thoughts in another post later? Makes two posts for your count instead of one. :p

 

[Kanzler]

My thoughts go further than that. I only posted my most general and superficial of opinions because I didn't want to limit the discussion, letting it go with the flow.

But now that I'm here, yes I do think this story breaks some barriers in terms of we the West stereotyping Islamic countries and the Middle East (most people don't consider Pakistan to be part of the Middle East, but I'm including it in the definition as its problems with radical Islam are intertwined with the same problems faced by many countries in the region). We just never hear about Islam, let alone foreign Islam mentioned in a positive way. Making this story public goes a long way in showing that they're just people like us.

 

[Phantom1]

Sad.

I'm not even looking at it as, well an issue with Islam.

I'm looking at it as an issue with humanity, that a man, under religious pretense or not, decided to attempt to bomb a school full of children, stopped only by a brave boy.

 

[Sir Codin]

Hero.

No other word to describe him.

 

[Zise]

Islam does not have anything even remotely close to do with this. It is stated in the Quran that it is forbidden to commit suicide. I don't know why you people are even mentioning Islam in this topic. The bomber was just as sick and twisted as Adam Lanza, James Holmes, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. If Islam was indeed in the mind of the bomber while he was going through with this, then he must have been brainwashed by those terrorists who told him he would be promised paradise if he went and blew up a school full of kids. These are not Muslims. As soon as you have the intent to kill innocent people, you are no longer considered a Muslim in Islam. There is no way that these types of people can justify their actions in Islam or even in general.

R.I.P Aitazaz Hassan Bangash

 

[LoudSilence]

We don't hear much from the Middle East now that the wars have winded down, but radical Islam and militants continue to be a threat to the peace of its people.

We just never hear about Islam, let alone foreign Islam mentioned in a positive way. Making this story public goes a long way in showing that they're just people like us

Died down in the media maybe, but the fires are still raging heavily, even if they're not official "wars" per se. The problems plaguing the Orient are multifaceted and are not merely the fault of "radicals" (though they do play a role). And positive media coverage is good sure, but I think it's important to note that our demonisation of the Middle East was the fault of that same media to begin with. Propaganda is alive and well.

I'll save my full thoughts for another time because it's a long discussion and a bit of a tangent.

It's so hard not to believe stereotypes because the people that confirm them are so vocal whilst those that buck a trend rarely speak up. I'll try and speak to you as neutrally as possible but until you disprove me i'll probably think you are stereotypical.

It only seems difficult to you because you already believe in them. Every man and woman should be taken on their own merit without assumptions or judgement. And even if you're right in your stereotyping, so what? What have you established that will help you in any way when dealing with that person other than making you less polite than normal?

Islam does not have anything even remotely close to do with this. It is stated in the Quran that it is forbidden to commit suicide. I don't know why you people are even mentioning Islam in this topic. The bomber was just as sick and twisted as Adam Lanza, James Holmes, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. If Islam was indeed in the mind of the bomber while he was going through with this, then he must have been brainwashed by those terrorists who told him he would be promised paradise if he went and blew up a school full of kids. These are not Muslims. As soon as you have the intent to kill innocent people, you are no longer considered a Muslim in Islam. There is no way that these types of people can justify their actions in Islam or even in general.

Unfortunately Islam is kept a part of the discussion for 2 factors:

1) The criminals claim they are doing things in the name of that religion
2) The media tells us it's about Islam and not merely ignorant people

Muslims are the new Germans, the new Japanese, the new Cubans --- that otherworldly demon the West needs to protect its precious citisens from. The systemically induced air of paranoia is what keeps us complacent in the face of frightening violations of American rights and wanton killing.

 

[Kanzler]

Heroic yes, but not really much of a good discussion point. Some people are fearless enough to die for what believe in and hold dear, qualities the suicide bomber also had. It just so happens that he was born on the wrong side of the fence. A pointful waste of a human life to stop the pointless waste of many more, If you were the one that had to die would you give up your own life for said philosophy? For me it's doubtful, right now I don't love anything strongly enough for it to supersede my very powerful survival instincts.

It's not much to talk about if you take it simply as heroism and remind yourself that heroism exists in many shapes and forms all over the world. However, there is a lot to reflect on when you don't take that fact for granted. The fact of the matter is that negative stereotypes exist and coverage of this event should hopefully provoke us to question it and change the way we think about foreign people with whom our only connection is through news reports. Think about that for a second: we likely don't know these people in our daily lives, it's difficult or we're apathetic to learning about where their culture comes from, and yet we make (sometimes very emotional) judgments based on what the media "tells us". That you describe his life as being "born on the wrong side of the fence" is pretty Western-centric in itself. Should his sacrifice have to happen in the first place? Of course not in the ideal world, but we have to take the world as it is with all its problems and in that light, yes, I think it's very significant, as a story that sheds light not only on the rest of the world but also on how we perceive that world.

That's a stupid analogy. In my eyes there are two types of stereotypes. Ideological views that come to represent a large population groups due to vocal minorities or over representation in the media. It's folly to classify people like that. But there are some stereotypes backed up by proper statistics. There's very little ambiguity if you look up American obesity statistics and find out that a majority of Americans are overweight or obese. Scales don't lie (except perhaps in the case of large muscle mass). Sure not 100% of Americans are like that but it's not an illogical stereotype.

It's so hard not to believe stereotypes because the people that confirm them are so vocal whilst those that buck a trend rarely speak up. I'll try and speak to you as neutrally as possible but until you disprove me i'll probably think you are stereotypical.

The significance of stereotypes isn't about how "true" or not they are, the significance is that people will make judgments that make life harder for everybody, no matter whether the stereotype is "deserved". In that light, I find it arbitrary that we can categorize stereotypes into "ideological" and "statistical" ones. If anything it is a poor comparison because I can't imagine many people actually feeling ashamed about being American because of negative stereotypes, it doesn't really affect Americans - but I've got an outsider's perspective, so if anybody is offended by negative American stereotypes feel free to speak up. In any case, proper statistics doesn't mean that the stereotype is in any way proper.

I don't think he's stereotypical, he's bringing up an issue. Even if he was, this isn't the place to cast judgment so plainly.

 

[Zise]

Unfortunately Islam is kept a part of the discussion for 2 factors:

1) The criminals claim they are doing things in the name of that religion
2) The media tells us it's about Islam and not merely ignorant people

Muslims are the new Germans, the new Japanese, the new Cubans --- that otherworldly demon the West needs to protect its precious citisens from. The systemically induced air of paranoia is what keeps us complacent in the face of frightening violations of American rights and wanton killing.

But nowhere in this story did anyone mention that this was an act of Jihad? Yet people are still coming to the conclusion that Islam was an influence for the suicide bomber to blow up a school. Do you see what I mean? Islam wasn't mentioned anywhere in this article, yet people come to the point where they have to mention Islam.

The reason why these criminals claim to do the things they do in the name of Islam is because they were kidnapped at a young age. They are brought to a place where they get brainwashed to do what they think their religion is saying but in reality, it's the Taliban or the Al-Qaida. These organizations aren't fighting in the name of Islam, they do it because they want power and to keep the people oppressed. Their actions are the complete opposite of what Islam says to do. For example, the Taliban shot a girl in the head on Oct. 2012 because she was promoting education for all boys and girls yet Islam acknowledges women's equality with men in a great many respects.

The media? Since when do the media want you to learn the truth? It's obvious they want Islam to be the cause of everything bad that happen's in the world. People are going to believe in anything, and that's their problem.

 

[LoudSilence]

But nowhere in this story did anyone mention that this was an act of Jihad? Yet people are still coming to the conclusion that Islam was an influence for the suicide bomber to blow up a school. Do you see what I mean? Islam wasn't mentioned anywhere in this article, yet people come to the point where they have to mention Islam.

I was speaking generally, but in this case I actually would say it's a safe assumption that a suicide bomber in a predominantly Muslim country is going to be a Muslim (with warped beliefs ofc). Either way, I don't think we're in disagreement: that "side" of the world and its troubles will always be painted with the brush of "radical Islam" because Islam is the current bogeyman, like Communism and Socialism before it.

As a side note, don't feel like you have to defend or distance Islam from what's happening (you sound Muslim, sorry if I'm wrong). I see these public statements all the time where Muslims come out to "condemn" acts of "Islamic" terrorism and I think it's silly that society pressures them to...which Christian has come out to publicly apologise for Hitler, I wonder? Since when does an entire religion assume responsibility for the deviation of some? It's weird.

The media? Since when do the media want you to learn the truth? It's obvious they want Islam to be the cause of everything bad that happen's in the world. People are going to believe in anything, and that's their problem.

You did read my whole post, didn't you? :P I'm not saying it's right, I was just answering your question.

 

[Cura]

Heroic and brave to do such a selfless action. It makes me sad in a sense to see someone like that die. We need more people like that, who will sacrifice all to save others from threats both foreign and domestic. In my opinion, I am pro-military, I support our veterans, I salute them, but seeing what this young boy did... he is like any other serviceman or woman, a hero.

In today's American [probably not just America's] society I've noticed a huge uprising in just pure arrogance among people, and its really out of control. Ignorance is also another huge problem, someone elderly has a heart attack or stroke behind the wheel, crashes into a store struggling to survive. What does the employees and customers do? Whip out cell phones and start taking pictures!? Only then, the boss gets over and helps the elderly person out.

I know I am off the topic, but there is a explanation for it. This type of behavior is showing that most people who witness an action or crime and then just whip out smart devices to record it is really just ignorant. It also shows how cowardice that these people in doing something to not stop or prevent something. So I do say proudly, that boy is a hero. To lay down his own life to safe others is something rare outside of the military. Again, I only wish there were more out there who'd get up and be 'true' heroes.

 

[Corvus of the Black Night]

This kid's a true hero. That's all I really gotta say about that.

 

[zakisrage]

That boy is my hero. It was so brave of him to try to stop a suicide bomber.

 

[Zise]

I was speaking generally, but in this case I actually would say it's a safe assumption that a suicide bomber in a predominantly Muslim country is going to be a Muslim (with warped beliefs ofc). Either way, I don't think we're in disagreement: that "side" of the world and its troubles will always be painted with the brush of "radical Islam" because Islam is the current bogeyman, like Communism and Socialism before it.

As a side note, don't feel like you have to defend or distance Islam from what's happening (you sound Muslim, sorry if I'm wrong). I see these public statements all the time where Muslims come out to "condemn" acts of "Islamic" terrorism and I think it's silly that society pressures them to...which Christian has come out to publicly apologise for Hitler, I wonder? Since when does an entire religion assume responsibility for the deviation of some? It's weird.



You did read my whole post, didn't you? :P I'm not saying it's right, I was just answering your question.

When the world is trying to bring down the religion you love and follow, what would you do? We're not apologizing for the actions of terrorists that have the same faith as us. What we're doing is trying to distance Islam from the actions of these people. Don't punish the religion, but rather punish the person for not following what their religion asks them to do. I do feel like I have to defend my religion from all the accusations it's been receiving because I believe it to be my responsibility just as well as every other Muslim out there.

Don't get me wrong, I'm aware of what you're saying and I totally agree with you. It's just that I believe that people should look at Islam from their own perspective. Do your own research and not follow what the media is telling you because it's all lies and slander. Look at what the religion tells its followers to do, and not at what other people say.

 

[Kanzler]

I think it's terrible that the majority feel like they have to defend their religion from accusation. The same goes for Christianity and homosexuality, although the impact of violent jihad is significantly more political than the other. For many in the West, Islam is seen as other and exotic, and it'll take a lot more to change people's perceptions. It's funny how we claim we're a free and open society. I think this one is just as prone to prejudice as any other society.

 

[doesn't matter]

Pakistan isn't in the Middle East.

 

[Kanzler]

Pakistan isn't in the Middle East.

I expected someone to mention this sooner or later. I do address my reasoning for grouping it in the Middle East here though:

But now that I'm here, yes I do think this story breaks some barriers in terms of we the West stereotyping Islamic countries and the Middle East (most people don't consider Pakistan to be part of the Middle East, but I'm including it in the definition as its problems with radical Islam are intertwined with the same problems faced by many countries in the region). We just never hear about Islam, let alone foreign Islam mentioned in a positive way. Making this story public goes a long way in showing that they're just people like us.

That is to say, I've included it in the region because their security problems are related and interdependent. I'm envisioning the Middle East as a region linked by security problems as well as Islam, which makes it a nice connection towards stereotypes we have in the West which are caused by us seeing the region as it is usually defined as being conflict-ridden and Islamic.