100s murdered in Karbala Iraq

[Abdur_Rahman]

There is a saying from the Prophet Muhammad (saw) which says that killing one beliver is like killing the entire humanity

Mark Oliver and agencies
Tuesday March 2, 2004
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1160257,00.html

At least 125 people were killed in a series of apparently choreographed blasts today in blasts at Shia shrines in Baghdad and Kerbala, the Iraqi Governing Council said.
The almost simultaneous attacks came at the height of the Ashura festival, Shia Islam's most important religious event.

In the Iraqi capital, three explosions rocked the Kazimiya shrine after 10am local time (0700 GMT). Adel Abdel-Mahdi, a senior member of a Shia political party represented on the IMG, said the blasts killed at least 75 people in Baghdad.

At around the same time in Kerbala, 80km (50 miles) south of Baghdad, there were five blasts near two of Shia Islam's most important shrines which killed 50 to 60 people, Mr Abdel-Mahdi said.

Hundreds were wounded in both cities.

Mr Abdel-Mahdi, speaking at a press conference with other representatives from the council, said the Baghdad blasts were believed to have been caused by bombs, possibly planted or carried by suicide attackers. The Kerbala blasts, he added, were believed to have been caused by mortar shells.

Meanwhile today in Quetta in south-west Pakistan, armed men opened fire on Shia Muslim worshippers during an Ashura procession there, killing 17 people and wounding around 30 others, some critically, authorities said.

US intelligence officials had been concerned about the possibility of militant attacks on the festival and some efforts had been made to increase security in Iraq. There are fears extremists want to kindle a civil war between Shia and Sunni Muslims.

Tens of thousands of people had been marching through the streets of Kerbala, chanting and flagellating themselves as the festival of Ashura, which was banned under Saddam Hussein, reached its peak and final day today. The explosions sent crowds of pilgrims fleeing in panic.

The Ashura festival, which marks the 7th century killing of Imam Hussein, draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and other Shia communities to the Iraqi shrines.

The Kerbala blasts struck near the golden-domed shrine where Imam Hussein is buried, in a neighbourhood of several pilgrimage sites.

An Associated Press reporter saw 10 people who appeared to be dead being loaded on to wooden carts and taken away; a Reuters correspondent reported seeing the dismembered bodies of at least 25 people strewn on the street. Many others were injured.

In Baghdad, the Kazimiya blasts went off inside the shrine's ornately tiled walls and outside in a square packed with street vendors catering to pilgrims.

The street outside Kazimiya was littered with thousands of shoes and sandals belonging to worshippers who had been praying inside the shrine. The courtyard inside the shrine was strewn with torn limbs.

Police sealed off the area and dozens of armed men in civilian clothes tried to maintain order. The shrine contains the tombs of two Shia saints, Imam Mousa Kazem and his grandson Imam Muhammad al-Jawad.

In Pakistan, the attack by gunmen came in a congested area of Quetta, the main city in the Baluchistan province, where hundreds of Shia Muslims were in a procession.

Soon after, a Sunni Muslim mosque and a television network office were set ablaze amid rioting by enraged Shia citizens, and an exchange of gunfire took place near the scene of the attack, police said. The city's mayor declared an immediate curfew.

At a press conference in London with the Israeli foreign minister, the British foreign secretary, Jack Straw, said it was "no coincidence" that the bombers in Iraq had struck on the day of the Shia celebrations and a day after agreement was reached on an interim constitution. Mr Straw said: "Our hearts and thoughts and prayers go out to all those people killed."

Coalition and Iraqi forces had bolstered security around Kerbala and other Shia-majority towns in the south during the pilgrimage there. Last month, US officials released what they said was a letter by a Jordanian militant outlining a strategy of spectacular attacks on Shia Muslims, aimed at sparking a Sunni-Shia civil war.

After the first blasts in Kerbala, Shia militiamen tried to clear the crowds, firing guns into the air. Two more blasts went off about half an hour later. Iraqi militia initially tried to control the crowd and arrested two men the crowd had attempted to lynch.

"We were standing there [next to the mosques] when we heard an explosion. We saw flesh, arms, legs, more flesh. Then the ambulance came," Tarar, an 18-year-old, said.

Another witness, identifying himself only as Sairouz, said: "Many Iranians were killed, I was 10 metres away, it was hidden under rubbish." Rumours swirled throughout the city as to the cause of the blasts, ranging from mortars fired from outside the town to suicide bombers in the crowd. One witness said a bomb was hidden near the mosque.

But loudspeakers from the mosques continued to broadcast recitations from the Koran, only briefly interrupting the Ashura commemoration to ask the crowd to part so that ambulances could move through the crowd.

Some people were bleeding but had not been hurt by the blast as some Shias mark Ashura by beating their heads and chests and gashing their heads with swords. This is to show their grief and echo the suffering of Hussein, who was beheaded by enemies.

At the shrine in Baghdad, hundreds of gunmen swarmed inside and outside as men wept while a US helicopter hovered overhead. Traditional black mourning banners hung in tatters.

"How is it possible that any man, let alone a Muslim man, does this on the day of al-Hussein," said Thaer al-Shimri, a member of the Shia Al-Dawa party. "Today war has been launched on Islam."

Anger swelled among the survivors. Hundreds of arguments broke out. Some people blamed the Americans for stirring up religious tensions by launching the war. Others blamed al-Qaida or Sunni extremists.

In a separate incident in Baghdad, a US soldier was killed when insurgents threw a grenade at an army Humvee that was on patrol, the US military said.

The military said it did not believe the attack was related to the bombings at Shia shrines. This latest death brings to 548 the number of US service members who have died since the Iraq war started last March.

[samtel]

This is bound to happen when you think only your belief is right, rest others are wrong......
(i) Kill Kafirs, then
(ii) search kafirs in yourselves, and kill

Go on till everybody is finished

[samtel]

This is bound to happen when you think only your belief is right, rest others are wrong......
(i) Kill Kafirs, then
(ii) search for kafirs in yourselves, and kill

Go on till everybody all the Kafirs are killed
One fine morning notice there is nobody left...But ONLY Believers!!!

Have you ever tried to find out there are how many anti-buddhist websites..... Have you ever tried to find the reason for that???

[Hasan_Ali_Imam]

Assalamu Alaikum,

Those who masterminded these attacks should be executed, preferably crucified...one of the most painful deaths anyone can have, for spreading misery throughout the land.

Some people have made accusations as to the source of the attacks without proof. Some theories include:

- Al- Qaeda [The Khawarij of our time]
- Israel
- USA
- Sunni elements

The source of attacks is difficult to prove, but the intention of the attack is even more puzzling. If it was to create communal violence between Sunnis and Shias, that's not going to happen as the tragedy of the martyrdom of Hussain (R) is shared by Sunnis and Shias.

What is for sure is that terrorism is an enemy to Islam and if Muslims have been involved in such terrorism, then they have waged war against Islam, of which there is only one solution, death by crucifixion (my preference).

Wassalam
Hasan

[desi-soul]

The conflict was between two warring arab fractions for a political control over Khalifah [arab empire]!!!
One out of the two, killed another one...This happened 1400 years ago, and both of them were interested in ruling khalifah, not some noble humitarian cause.
Than why the hell should you all kill each other over two maglomaniac ambitious ARAB contenders who are no more??

I wonder what pakis have to do with two arab warring fractions???

Its so stupid to see, maschostic nitwits wailling and cutting themselves on the streets !! And other group of sadist blowing them up in mosques!!!

Frankly,you dont even need nonmuslims to harm islam, you all are 'do it yourselves' types.

[Hasan_Ali_Imam]

Peace,

I don't believe that the historical conflicts are to do with Arab megalomania. The schisms that happened after the death of the prophet had nothing to do with power struggles but disagreements between companions which were resolved.

The battle of Karbala was when Husain (R) wanted to achieve justice by confronting the tyrant, Yazid. Again nothing to do with power, but establishing justice.

Dialogue between Shias and Sunnis are happening but needs to strengthen. By and large the two groups do live in peace.

Hasan

[Charlies_Angel]

I dont mean to go off topic here, but I dont get why the Shi'ites do the whole self beating thing???? I understand that its a day of mourning and stuff, but I dont get what hitting yourself will acheive?? surely making prayer would be more beneficial.


PS dont worry, Im not supporting the people that bombed them. That was just plain wrong.