A bomb explosion occurred at a rally by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India. The BJP is a nationalist party with a very strong Hindu identity. It seeks to unseat the Congress Party in the elections scheduled for mid-2014. The BJP has a long history of animosity toward the Muslim population in India, and its current leader, Narendra Modi, was scheduled to speak at the rally. Modi is a controversial figure, and the current economic situation in India is fragile. He is sure to make the economic difficulties a major campaign issue.
Violence in Iraq continues. Since last April, more than 5,000 have died in sectarian violence. Sunnis in the country chafe under the Shia rule of the central government under al-Maliki. The government asserts that the violence is fostered by al-Qaeda elements who have slipped in from Syria. In truth, the violence began a very long time ago when the British gave power to the minority Sunni population, a role which continued under the rule of Saddam Hussein. The overthrow of Hussein by the US in 2003 provided an opportunity for the majority Shia population to take control, and the Sunnis resent the loss of power. In many respects, the violence also represents the power struggle between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran.
The economic situation in the Occupied Territories has deteriorated steadily after years of fairly robust growth. Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have suffered as Egypt has closed the tunnels which have served as economic lifelines to the territory. Israeli controls within the West Bank have made economic investments for difficult and less productive. Right now, the Palestinian people depend largely on the foreign aid offered by the European Union and other countries.
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