Understanding Terrorism in Mumbai

By Ed Felien
published December 1, 08

The attacks in Mumbai are horrifying and repugnant. The two dozen terrorists specifically targeted English and American guests at the Taj Mahal and Oberoi Hotels and Jews at Nariman House, home to the Hasidic Jewish group Chabad-Lubavitch.

They began their rampage with random shootings and grenade tossing at the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station, Café Leopold and the Cama and Albless hospital for women and children. There were also instances of random drive-by shootings.

The Deccan Mujahideen wrote in an email explaining their actions: “We warn the Indian government to stop atrocities on Muslims, stop killing them.”

Most observers assume the group to be Muslim fundamentalists with possibly some connection to Pakistan or Kashmir. But it is possible that the group came from the Deccan region of India, long ruled by Muslim Kings.

The principal targets of the group were the two luxury hotels and the Jewish center. The luxury hotels have been home to international financial giants for over a hundred years.

Although the Mujahideen say the principal reason for their attack is to avenge the deaths of Muslims at the hand of Indians, the fact that they sought out Americans and Britons in the hotels suggests a more international attack on what the dispossessed of the world consider an imperialist monster.

Although there doesn’t seem to be a direct connection to Al Qaida, it does seem the attackers are echoing the anti-imperialism objectives of that group. Al Qaida wants the U. S. out of the Middle East and Israel to give back land to the Palestinians. It seems that the Deccan Mujahideen want foreign imperialists out of India.