At Least 19 Killed in Ramadan Food Stampede

[SpartanDem]

Source: NY Times

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan— At least 19 women died in a stampede in one of the poorest neighborhoods of the southern port city of Karachi on Monday, as hundreds of women and children gathered to collect free food on the occasion of Ramadan, government officials said. At least 25 women were injured.

The stampede occurred as a local trader was distributing food in Khori Garden, a sprawling neighborhood in the southern part of the city. Hundreds of women and children had gathered in the narrow lanes, and witnesses said the women tumbled over one another trying to enter a building in an attempt to collect the food first.

“As we were climbing up the stairs, the power went off,” Seema Bibi, 13, told Reuters as she searched for relatives among the crowd. “I also fainted.”

Injured women were transported to the city’s Civil Hospital, and local television channels broadcast images of relatives of the dead wailing outside the morgue.

Muslims traditionally distribute free food during the month of Ramadan. The gifts are handed out by private individuals and through religious or charitable organizations.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/world/asia/15pstan.html?hp

[BlooInBloo]

1. Maybe if they gave out food *every* day?

Just a thought.

[Rebubula]

2. Actually..

...they do. Charity for the poor is well known in Muslim lands. In fact, it is a basic tenet of that religion.

[BlooInBloo]

3. (shrug) Apparently it isn't enough.

[izquierdista]

4. Charity is never enough

Charity is where the well-off give as much as makes them feel pious and generous. Somehow, that is ALWAYS less than what the not-so-well-off need to survive. That's why I have a low opinion of charity; if some activity or cause is worth doing, then it is worth funding it properly to get the job done through taxes and government.

[Rebubula]

5. Well..

..maybe it is as they did not die of starvation.

They died because crowd control sucked.

But...you have to have someone to blame I guess.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. 
[link:www.democraticunderground.com/forums/rules.html|Click
here] to review the message board rules.

[Rebubula]

7. OK...

...wtf are you talking about?

Take your broad brushed attacks back to the rock that you came from...

[Ecumenist]

8. Where the "F"did that come from?

You DO realise that people are dealing hunger rght here in the GOOD OLD US of A, right? Not too much Islam government here.. I know about harsh hunger conditions in Appalachia, that hotbed of Islamic extremism ..:eyes:

BTW, your screenname is perfect for you...NICE.

[KamaAina]

9. A local trader, not a religious leader, was distributing the food

Next time, read the (((bandwidth limit exceeded))) article.

[cali]

10. beat it, troll.

[question everything]

11. Always the women (nt)