Abdullah Shah Ghazi's mazar was struck by twin suicide attacks tonight and ten people have been killed. Legend has it that Karachi's famous Sufi shrine (depicted above in a photo of unknown date) has protected the city from typhoons. It's no coincidence that the attacks occurred on a Thursday, an evening when the shrine would be packed with worshipers listening to music in search a connection with the divine.
The grim news came in as we were driving back from a joyful celebration of music at another shrine, near the northern city of Lahore. I was with beloved Punjabi folk singer Arif Lohar. We were all basking the afterglow of the spontaneous performance he'd given at the shrine of Baba Bulleh Shah to an ecstatic audience of worshipers. Lohar was so happy to share his love of Sufi music and culture with me and with everyday Pakistanis. But when we got the news on our mobile phones, the mood in the car became immediately somber.
The shrine always looked to me like a building from a fairytale, perched on a hill with flags fluttering from its roof and patterned tile decorating its sides. The compound is on the Karachi seafront, in a fancier, typically more secure part of town, and not far from where I am staying on my trip. It is also not far from President Zardari's home.
To know that tonight it was the site of death and destruction is truly heartbreaking.
Now the blame game begins. One of the people working with me in Lahore said he thought an outside hand was at play. Arif threw up his hands, saying "I am just a performer, I do not understand how anybody could do this."
The Express News reports that the Taliban have taken responsibility, but I cannot verify that.
Relevant links:
http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/2066/attacking-sufi-shrines-the-new-islamic-fundamentalism/
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/44-two-explosions-abdullah-shah-ghazi-karachi-fa-01
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