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http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/BAK437492.htm Buying bread reveals Source: Reuters By Luke Baker Two weeks ago, masked gunmen stormed into the Saada (Happiness)
bakery in the east of the city and unleashed a hail of gunfire, killing nine
people and wounding a dozen. On Thursday they struck Happiness again. Two armed men jumped out of a passing car and showered the bakery
with bullets, killing one person and wounding two others. Pools of blood formed on the pavement outside. "We tried to run but they chased after us and opened fire. We
were working. We did nothing," said one of the bakery's employees, his
hands still white with flour. Saada is a Shi'ite-owned bakery and the two hits appear to be a
result of deepening tensions between The bakery is plastered with posters of Since the first attack occurred during the build-up to Ashura, a
major Shi'ite ritual, it seemed to fit the sectarian pattern. The ceremony has been targeted by Sunni militants in the past --
50 Shi'ites were killed in suicide bombings in And there have been attacks similar to the one on Saada at other
Shi'ite bakeries elsewhere in the capital during Ashura. CRIME OR POLITICS? But it appears Saada may also have been targeted for political as
well as sectarian reasons, highlighting another facet of Residents said the bakery had sold bread to the Iraqi army. Militants regard any form of cooperation with U.S.-backed
authorities as siding with the enemy. Iraqis working as translators for Workers at Saada denied they had sold bread to the Iraqi security
forces, even though locals said policemen, like many other nearby residents,
regularly dropped by the bakery. But the shop may have been targeted for a third reason, as part of
a business feud, underlining another element of In the lawlessness that has infected the country, gangs have often
carried out criminal acts under the guise of politics or religion. Police do not know what the motive for the
Saada attacks was. But whatever the cause, *************************************************************************** {Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy Quran-16:125) {And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33) The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all." [Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] -------------------------------------------------------------------------- All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title "change to daily digest".
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