'Suicide bomber' hits Russia's Volgograd train station
A female suicide bomber has been blamed for killing 15 people and leaving dozens more injured at a railway station in the southern Russian city of Volgograd.
Police identified the bomber as a Dagestan national called Oksana Aslanova - who had been married to two Islamists killed by Russian forces.
She apparently detonated a bomb in front of a metal detector inside the main entrance of the station. Russian television is suggesting there may have been two attackers.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered law enforcement agencies to take "all necessary measures".
Federal police spokesman Vladimir Kolesnikov said security would be stepped up at train stations and airports.
One witness, who gave his name as Vladimir, told a Russian TV station: "I heard the blast and ran toward it. I saw melted, twisted bits of metal, broken glass and bodies lying on the street."
rain station store attendant Valentina Petrichenko said: "It was a very powerful blast. Some people started running and others were thrown back by the wave of the blast. It was very scary."
The attack comes just weeks before the start of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, a town 430 miles southwest of Volgograd.
Sky News Moscow producer Yulia Bragina said: "It's very concerning with two months to go to the Sochi Olympics.
"The Russian security services are working 24/7 to make the Games safe for the sportsmen and people who want to visit the Olympics in Russia. There will be a big investigation into what has happened."
Assisted Suicide Interim Policy
The director of public prosecutions Keir Starmer QC in september of 2009 issued guidelines in regards assisted suicide and when people can be prosecuted when they have played a part in this.
A numebr of cases have been brought foward such as Pretty v United Kingdom and R (on the application of Purdy) v Director of Public Prosecutions.
Guidelines can be found here http://www.cps.gov.uk/news/press_releases/144_09/
What are your views on this topic?
Should it just be seen as a form of homicide fullstop?
even though the person has given consent ....
or should symphathy be shown in certain cases?
Suicide
I was just reading this article about teen suicides in India (well, Mumbai, where they are averaging one teen a day, or three people in total per day... with 100,000 people committing suicide in india per annum) and its quite... alarming? unnerving? high? surprising? take your pick.
Another quote from the article:
World Health Organisation Assistant Director-General Catherine Le Gals-Camus points out more people die from suicide around the world than from all homicides and wars combined.
The article also mentions for every successful attempt there are probably 13 failed attempts and that some extra light has been shone on the issue when this issue was highlighted in some Bollywood Movie where some student after getting mediocre grades committed suicide.
Editorial: Islam hijacked by the suicide bomb
By Sajid Iqbal
You're sat on the bus with your mates. You're having a wicked meal at a top restaurant with your work colleagues. You're walking down a busy road with your partner. You're attending a football match with your brothers. You're on the plane with your parents. Then a huge BANG! A massive explosion. Bodies are flying everywhere. Hundreds dead and injured. Soon it's reported it was a suicide bomb. Nobody knows why. Everyone questions what have the victims done to deserve this? Nothing makes sense. How can anyone do this? Hours later a Muslim organisation takes responsibility for the suicide attack.
How do you feel now? How do you view religions now? What are your feelings towards Muslims now? What do you think of Islam now?
Jihad & Suicide Bombings
So, the 60 million dollar question is that if Islam teaches peace and is absolutely against violence and terrorism then why the heck do these individuals and organisations carry out these violent acts in the name of Islam? Is it in the name of Jihad?
You're probably thinking isn't fighting; violence and killing people all part of jihad.
Well, that's the trap that must people fall into. You see Jihad means 'struggle to the utmost' and one of the forms of jihad is to take up arms against oppressive and evil regimes that arc victimising innocent people.