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
Tight security for Iraq Shi'ite rite
Tue Jan 6, 2009 9:35am EST
Email | Print |
Share
| Reprints | Single Page
[-]
Text
[+]
By Mohammed Abbas
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Thousands of Iraqi Shi'ites flocked to holy sites on Tuesday to observe a religious rite amid tight security days after a bomber killed at least 35 pilgrims.
Men and boys marched with blood streaming down their faces after cutting their scalps, part of the ritual of mourning for the death of Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, slain in the 7th century battle of Kerbala.
Many wore green or red costumes, dressing as the followers of Hussein and his enemy Yazid for re-enactments of the battle, streaming into a Baghdad shrine to the beat of drums.
"Security is tighter than last year. You can see that in the number of checkpoints and police. We have a stronger government now," said Ali Aziz, a pilgrim making his way to north Baghdad's Imam Musa al-Kadhim shrine, where the bomber struck on Sunday.
"Yes, there was a bombing a few days ago. But that was unexpected and the police are ready for it now," he said.
In an unprecedented security move, authorities forbade women from entering the entire district of Kadhimiya surrounding the Baghdad shrine, because it is difficult for the overwhelmingly male police force to search them. Scores of women were barred at a checkpoint outside the district.
"My home is in Kadhimiya. Am I supposed to stand out here with my kids in the street?" asked a woman who gave her name as Um Hamid. She said she had been visiting friends outside the district overnight and could not get home.
Authorities announced on Sunday they would impose a ban on women attending the annual rite, hours after the suicide bomber struck. Initial reports said Sunday's bomber was female, although the government later said he was male. Sunni militants have increasingly deployed women and girls as suicide bombers.
SECURITY TIGHT
The Ashura holiday is the most important and most dramatic of several annual rites that distinguish Shi'ite Muslims from Sunnis. Tuesday was the end of a nine-day preparatory period before the anniversary on Wednesday, when Shi'ite mosques ring with the wailing of women and the quiet sobs of men.
Like other Shi'ite holidays, Ashura has become a show of strength for the community which makes up a majority in Iraq. Observances are attended by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims each year since the fall of Saddam Hussein, who repressed Shi'ite religious observances.
Sunni militants in Iraq 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 subsequent years.
This year police maintained checkpoints throughout the narrow streets and alleys of Kadhimiya, searching people nearly every 50 meters (yards).
In Kerbala, the shrine city southwest of Baghdad where Hussein's remains are housed in a golden mosque, the government deployed 20,000 soldiers and police to protect worshippers, said Major-General Ali al-Ghirari, head of military operations there.
"We put in place a well-set security plan two days ago," he told Reuters. "We have forbidden vehicles inside the old city. We distributed explosive detectors (to checkpoints) on the roads coming from Baghdad, Hilla, and Najaf," he told Reuters. Continued...
View article on single page
Share:
Del.icio.us
Digg
Mixx
My Web
Facebook
LinkedIn
Next Article:
Hasina takes oath as new Bangladesh prime minister
Also on Reuters
Pink iguanas unseen by Darwin offer evolution clue
Video
Video: Autopsy performed on John Travolta's son
Cuba opens Hemingway archives to scholars
More International News
Israeli tank fire kills 40 at U.N. school: medics
| Video
India PM says Pakistan "agencies" linked to attack
China seen facing wave of unrest in 2009
Russian gas disruption spreads across Europe
| Video
Hasina takes oath as new Bangladesh prime minister
More International News...
Related News
Iraqi Kurd leader blames Arabs for growing rift
02 Jan 2009
"Treacherous" U.S. breaks pacts, Iran tells Iraq
04 Jan 2009
Britain hands control of Basra airport to Iraqis
04 Jan 2009
FACTBOX: Security developments in Iraq, Jan 2
04 Jan 2009
Election friction flares in Iraq's violent north
04 Jan 2009
Editor's Choice
Slideshow
A selection of our best photos from the past 24 hours. Slideshow
Most Popular on Reuters
Articles
Video
FBI plans large hiring blitz of agents, experts
Senate Democrats put off plans to seat Franken
Madoff sightings cause heads to turn in New York
Israeli troops deepen push into Gaza | Video
UPDATE 1-Senate Democrats put off plans to seat Franken
"What are you doing here?": man asks wife at brothel
Iran wants to show regional power over Gaza crisis
European data grim | Video
Pakistan may outsmart India in diplomatic poker
More Americans getting multiple chronic illnesses
Most Popular Articles RSS Feed
Video
Jett Travolta..the autopsy
Obama stays silent on Mideast
Apple CEO says healthy to lead
Toyota's Japan shutdown
Obama pushes stimulus plan
Gaza peace pleas rejected
Talk of the Town: Travolta's tragedy
Israel demands Hamas disarm
Sarkozy's new role?
Obama heads to Capitol Hill
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.