Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

Suicide bomber kills at least 41 at Sunni Muslim prayer service in Pakistan park ZararKhan * THE ASSOCIATED PRESS KARACHI, Pakistan — A suicide attacker detonated a; bomb during an outdoor Simni Muslim prayer service Tuesday, killing at least 41 people and wounding dozens. In the mayhem that followed, angry mobs torched cars and hurled rocks at police, who fired warning shots in the air. The attacker blew himself up near leaders of the Sunni Tehrik religious group, which helped Organize the prayer service at a downtown Karachi park, police chief Niaz Siddiqui said. The religious leaders were sitting near a stage erected in front of the thousands of Sunni Muslims marking the birth of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. Several leaders were killed. “The bomber used about 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of explosives obtained locally, and we have collected his body parts,” Siddiqui told The Associated Press. Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao told the AP that at least 40 people were killed. Officials at three Karachi hospitals later said they received 41 bodies. President Gen. Pervez Musharraf condemned the attack and ordered increased security at religious sites, adding that the culprits “will not go unpunished,” according to a statement issued on Pakistan’s state run news agency. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the bombing, one of the deadliest ever in Pakistan, a key U.S. ally in the war on terrorism. Attacks in the past have been linked to simmering Shiite-Sunni Muslim tensions, and most have been blamed on outlawed extremist groups. Mayhem erupted after the explosion. Scores of men wearing white, blood splattered robes clambered onto the stage to assist victims, some apparently dead and others wounded and waving their arms for help. “I saw body parts everywhere,” Mohammed Asif said. “I saw people collecting body parts and putting them into ambulances.” Crowds of people ran frantically in different directions, many aiding and carrying the wounded to dozens of ambulances. Some waved green flags bearing Quranic scripture. Others wept openly. A thick cloud of white smoke from the blast hung above the park. Police officers fired into the air to disperse crowds that massed at the scene. Soon after the bombing, violence erupted in nearby areas as groups of youths burned a gas station, buses and several cars. Another mob pelted security forces with stones after the blast. Television footage inside several Karachi hospitals ^ showed scores of victims ^ being treated in crowded wards. A screaming woman wailed over a person killed in the blast, the body covered by a white sheet on a hospital bed. A young boy with burns on his face said he was praying in the park when the massive blast went off. “I saw fire and smoke after the big explosion,” the unidentified boy told Geo television. Two prominent Sunni Muslim clerics were among the dead: Akram Qadri, a senior leader of the Sunni Tehrik group that organized the service, and Karachi Sheik Hanif Billu, government and hospital officials said. “Whoever did this was not a Muslim,” said another Tehrik leader, Tanveer Shaft. Shakil Adil / The Associated Press Pakistani men look at burning vehicle set on fire by angry protestors after a bomb explosion in Karachi, Pakistan Tuesday, April 11, 2006. A powerful bomb exploded dur ing an Islamic prayer service in a park in this southern Pakistani city on Tuesday, killing at least 40 people. it • connnuED momi communication. It tells what’s happening, but in a non-technical message.” Bill Hogue, vice president of information technology and the university’s chief information officer, said most people at USG wanted better access to the network. “Most people want to know what is, our ability and what are we doing to expand the resources here and outside the USC community,” he said. “They wanted seven-by-24 access.” The old system was called the old outages system and wasn’t widely known because it wasn’t user friendly. On the old 'system, students had difficulty accessing the network. Tiffany Hinson, a third year political science student, also had problems with the old system. “I remember I had to get this study guide off Blackboard for a test and in the middle of trying to view it, the system shut down and I couldn’t get it to come back and I never got my study guide,” Hinson said. Although UTS added the new program to the network, many students are still having problems with accessing the Internet. Hinson said she hadn’t seen significant changes in the network since the new notification system began. South said that although they are still working on correcting some kinks in the e-mail system, the new program is innovative. The USC community can have messages about the network sent to their e-mail accounts and cell phones. More information about the system change is available at the UTS Web site, https://www.uts.sc.edu. “I’ve actually put up frequently asked questions and a glossary of terms,” South said. “So if you don’t know what things are then you can find out.” Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocknews @gwm. sc. edu pnssion • commie mom i procession was an opportunity for people to “walk with Jesus” on his last day. One bystander asked, “Shouldn’t they do this on Friday?” This Friday is known as Good Friday in the Catholic tradition, the day that the Vatican keeps as the anniversary of Christ’s crucifixion. Lijewski said it was only natural to stage the event Tuesday because several campus ministries meet on that day. Many passing motorists slowed to see what was happening, while some pedestrians stopped to observe the procession. After giving up his viewing spot, another bystander said he wasn’t really worried about . missing the procession. The play ended in front of the cemetery at Trinity Cathedral where Jesus, played by first-year computer science student and Newman Club member Derek DeBruin, is laid in a tomb. Other stops included the Russell House, Davis Field and the School of Public Health. “The Living Stations of d the Cross” was presented by the Newman Club, Canterbury of Columbia, the Lutheran Campus Ministry, the Methodist Student Network and the Presbyterian Students Association. Comments on this story? E-mail ramecocknews@gwm.se. edu mmm 3214 Millwood Avenue ♦ South Carolina 29205 ♦ (803) 256-6419 Win a * Free iPod Students, Faculty, and Staff submit your iMovies to the College of Arts & Sciences Computing Center help desk (lower level Gambrell Hall) * Deadline April 26, 2006 * Several Apple iPOD PRIZES to be given away Information and rules at http://mac.sc.edu/ ^c^miop | ■■■I i • -1---1 >The ( Princeton s—'Review We Score More. LSAT MCAT GRE GMAT • Convenient schedules • Small classes • Guaranteed results Classes start soon. Call now to enroll. 800-2Review PrincetonReview.com Test names are the trademarks of their respective owners, who are not affiliated with The Princeton Review. The Princeton Review and The Princeton Review logo are trademarks of The Princeton Review. Inc., which is not affiliated with Princeton University.