SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 2008
19:12 MECCA TIME, 16:12 GMT
Stray violence mars Ashura in Iraq
The final day of Ashura for thousands of Iraqis
began with ritual flagellation [AFP]
The climax of the 10-day Ashura rituals marked by
about 2.5 million Shia Muslims across Iraq were marred
by attacks that killed nine people.
However, the main events on Saturday in Karbala, about
110km south of Baghdad, ended without incident,
officials said.
In Tal Afar, 420km northwest of Baghdad, seven men
were killed when a Katyusha rocket hit their group
while returning from a Ashura ritual.
In northern Kirkuk, a bomb killed two men heading to a
mosque for Ashura.
Police, meanwhile, said security forces ended an
uprising by members of the Soldiers of Heaven cult in
the two southern Iraq cities of Basra and Nasiriya,
which killed at least 70 people.
Ashura ceremony
Pilgrims thronged the streets of Karbala to mark the
slaying of Imam Hussein by the armies of the caliph
Yazid in AD 680.
Related
What is Ashura?
Akil al-Khazali, Karbala's governor, told a news
conference: "Two million people have come to Karbala
for Ashura.
"There have been no security violations ... and the
ceremonies have gone ahead without incident," he
added, as buses began ferrying the pilgrims home.
Earlier in the week, the governor had announced the
deployment of about 20,000 security force members in
and around the city for the event.
Iraqi forces ended an uprising by theSoldiers
of Heaven cult in Basra and Nasiriya [AFP]
Drums and trumpets sounded from early morning around
the shrines to Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas in Karbala,
announcing the start of the day's processions and
prayers in the shrine city.
Iraqi helicopters circled the city while pilgrims were
frisked up to 10 times before they could reach the
shrines.
Processions, which began with thousands of devotees
drenched in blood after "tatbir", or the ritual of
flagellating their scalps, ended with a re-enactment
of the battle for Karbala in AD 680 in which the Imam
Hussein was killed.
Medics walked through the crowd treating flagellation
wounds.
Cult clashes
Fighting raged through the afternoon in Nasiriya,
about 350km south of the capital Baghdad, and Basra,
in southern Iraq, during which officials said police
posts and several Ashura processions were attacked by
members of the Soldiers of Heaven cult with
machineguns and rifles.
Clashes died down in Basra during the night, but
continued sporadically in Nasiriya.
Imam Hussein's death entrenched the schism between
Shia and Sunni Muslims over who should be recognised
as the successors of Prophet Mohammed.
Source: Agencies
---------------
Jusfiq Hadjar gelar Sutan Maradjo Lelo
Allah yang disembah orang Islam tipikal dan yang digambarkan oleh al-Mushaf itu
dungu, buas, kejam, keji, ganas, zalim lagi biadab hanyalah Allah fiktif.
___________________________________________________________
Support the World Aids Awareness campaign this month with Yahoo! For Good
http://uk.promotions.yahoo.com/forgood/
Post message: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Unsubscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
List owner : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
