Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
My Profile
Top News
Reuters top ten news stories delivered to your inbox each day.
Subscribe
You are here:
Home
>
News
>
International
>
Article
Home
Business & Finance
News
U.S.
Politics
International
Technology
Entertainment
Sports
Lifestyle
Oddly Enough
Environment
Health
Science
Special Coverage
Video
Pictures
The Great Debate
Blogs
Weather
Reader Feedback
Do More With Reuters
RSS
Widgets
Mobile
Podcasts
Newsletters
You Witness News
Make Reuters My Homepage
Partner Services
CareerBuilder
Affiliate Network
Professional Products
Support (Customer Zone)
Reuters Media
Financial Products
About Thomson Reuters
Shi'ites in Iraq mark Ashura in show of force
Wed Jan 7, 2009 6:30am EST
Email | Print |
Share
| Reprints | Single Page
[-]
Text
[+]
By Mohammed Abbas
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Shi'ites in Iraq gathered in their thousands to observe an annual ritual of mourning on Wednesday, an event that has become a show of strength for a majority whose public worship was repressed by Saddam Hussein.
Ashura, the most important day in the Shi'ite calendar, was largely peaceful, guarded by a heavy police and army presence three days after a suicide bomber killed 35 pilgrims outside a Baghdad shrine.
At processions of thousands at Baghdad's Kadhamiya shrine and at other holy sites in Iraq to mourn the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, men sobbed, cut their scalps with daggers and whipped their backs with chains.
The ritual took place under unprecedented security after Sunday's attack, with thousands of police and military out.
A road leading to a golden domed Mosque at the north Baghdad shrine, scene of the bloody bomb attack Sunday, was again spattered with blood -- but this time it streamed from pilgrims cutting gashes in their heads: a traditional rite of mourning.
Thousands chanted "Haider, Haider" another name for Imam Ali, Imam Hussein's father, to commemorate the slaying of his son in the 7th century battle of Kerbala.
Groups of men, some riding horses, dressed up in medieval military outfits with spiked helmets and chainmail to re-enact the battle between followers of Hussein and his enemy Yazid. Others waved green and red flags. Women wailed.
Huge vats of stew steamed over wood fires on the roadside and a canal was died red to symbolize Hussein's blood.
"OUR HERITAGE"
In a bid to tighten security, authorities had forbidden women from entering the entire district of Kadhimiya surrounding the Baghdad shrine, because it is hard for the mostly male police force to search them, but Wednesday the ban was lifted. A gun attack on pilgrims in another part of Baghdad late Tuesday underscored the tough challenge of securing such festivals. Gunmen fired on a procession of Shi'ite pilgrims in southeastern Baghdad's Zaafaraniya district, wounding four.
Ashura is the most important and dramatic annual rite distinguishing Shi'ite Muslims from Sunnis and it has become a show of strength for Iraq's long-repressed majority sect.
"In Saddam's time, we were cut off from our history, our culture. Now that's changed. Now we can know our heritage," said Jasim Mohammed, an engineer.
Sunni militants have frequently staged attacks on pilgrims, beginning with coordinated suicide bombings in Baghdad and Kerbala during the first post-Saddam Ashura in 2004 that killed more than 160 people and heralded the sectarian bloodshed that ravaged the country in 2006 and 2007.
But like Baghdad, the southern holy city of Kerbala was calm Wednesday, thanks partly to some 20,000 security forces manning checkpoints with bomb detectors and banning cars.
Local officials estimated 1.5 million people marched through the city, about 50,000 of them pilgrims from Shi'ite Iran. Men flailed themselves with chains and adults helped young children, some as young as three, whip their backs with little chains. Continued...
View article on single page
Share:
Del.icio.us
Digg
Mixx
My Web
Facebook
LinkedIn
Next Article:
India says all options open to dismantle terror groups
Also on Reuters
As laptops dominate, desktop PCs face obsolescence
Video
Video: German billionaire Merckle's suicide
Researchers raises hope for obesity treatment
More International News
Egypt floats truce plan after Gaza school deaths
| Video
Cambodians mark 30 years since fall of Pol Pot
India says all options open to dismantle terror groups
Russian gas flow halted through Ukraine to Europe
South Korea parliament returns to work on reforms
More International News...
Editor's Choice
Slideshow
A selection of our best photos from the past 24 hours. Slideshow
Most Popular on Reuters
Articles
Video
Egypt floats truce plan after 42 killed in Gaza school
UPDATE 4-Bank of America, tycoon sell China bank stakes
Jennifer Garner delivers another daughter
UPDATE 1-Scared Swayze says may have only 2 years to live
German billionaire commits suicide after VW losses
Egypt floats truce plan after Gaza school deaths | Video
German tycoon Adolf Merckle commits suicide | Video
Scared Swayze says may have only 2 years to live
"What are you doing here?": man asks wife at brothel
Israeli shells kill 42 at U.N. school: Gaza medics
Most Popular Articles RSS Feed
Video
UN takes on Gaza
Billionaire Merckle's suicide
Obama speaks out on Gaza
Burris blocked from Senate
Iran and Gaza
Congress, Obama focus on economy
Talk of the Town: Jett cremated
Russia-Ukraine gas row spreads
Israel demands Hamas disarm
Cheney swears in U.S. senators
Most Popular Videos RSS Feed
Reuters Deals
The global destination for corporate leaders, deal-makers and innovators
Knowledge to Act
Reuters.com:
Help and Contact Us |
Advertise With Us |
Mobile |
Newsletters |
RSS |
Interactive TV |
Labs |
Reuters in Second Life |
Archive |
Site Index |
Video Index
Thomson Reuters Corporate:
Copyright |
Disclaimer |
Privacy |
Professional Products |
Professional Products Support |
About Thomson Reuters |
Careers
International Editions:
Africa |
Arabic |
Argentina |
Brazil |
Canada |
China |
France |
Germany |
India |
Italy |
Japan |
Latin America |
Mexico |
Russia |
Spain |
United Kingdom |
United States
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.