It felt familiar. There many of us were, glued to the television screens as terror, once again, dominated our sight.
We saw images of people running for safety. We saw smoke and fire. One more time, we witnessed the confusion as people tried to piece together what was going on.
But this time, the roles were reversed.
This attack came to Mumbai, India, not New York City.
This time, instead of the rest of the world gasping at the terror wrought in the United States, we watched in horror as a familiar spectacle unfolded thousands of miles away.
Some details are emerging.
We know what happened. Terrorists launched raids on tourist destinations in Mumbai.
Two luxury hotels were the focus of the killings. The attackers sought out people with British and American passports. A Jewish religious center was also hit.
We know that the attackers were prepared, and there is some talk that they might have even had people on the inside.
But knowing what happened is still not the same as knowing the full story.
We know who claimed responsibility — a group called Deccan Mujahideen.
However, Indian officials are suggesting that a group called Lashkar-e-Taiba is involved. This is heightening tensions between India and its neighbor, Pakistan.
Lashkar-e-Taiba has attacked India before, and it has received training from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency.
Some talking heads on the TV have even suggested that al-Qaida could somehow be involved.
And on Monday, Pakistani troops overrun a camp in Kashmir and arrested a suspected mastermind of the Mumbai attacks, a move that could reduce tensions between Pakistan and India.
As investigators have time to sift through the information available to them, we are certain the answers will come out. A rush to judgment should, as always, be avoided.
And though that seems shrewd advice, injured governments have not always followed it in the past
In the aftermath of the devastating terrorist attacks, our thoughts go out to those with family, friends and loved ones in India. We hope they are safe.
When events like these occur, it solidifies our human similarities.
We are not divided by nationality, race or religion. We are united by our experience of tragedy and our opposition to the terrorists who cause it.
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