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http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-307392,00.html?gavalidate The Sunday Times - World May 26, 2002 Saddam’s men kill 40 in mosque fight Marie Colvin IRAQIS worshipping at one of Islam’s holiest shrines were attacked by Saddam Hussein’s security forces earlier this month in one of the worst recent examples of the oppression suffered daily by civilians living under his regime. While international attention remains largely focused on Saddam’s chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programmes, which threaten those outside his borders, little is known of the suffering of his population because the Iraqi president controls the country’s media with his characteristic iron grip. However, news of his forces’ onslaught against worshippers at the shrine of Imam Hussein in Karbala, which left up to 40 people dead, has filtered out because some survivors escaped to the relative freedom of Kurdistan, the no-fly zone patrolled by American and British planes in northern Iraq. The attack happened on the anniversary of the death of Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam. Hussein was killed in the city of Karbala in the 7th century with 72 of his followers. He is particularly revered by followers of the Shi’ite branch of Islam, who mark the anniversary with mourning rites that include beating themselves publicly to show their sorrow. Thousands of Iraqis travel each year to the blue-tiled mosque in Karbala, where Hussein is buried. This year, security forces were out in strength as worshippers converged on the city, which Iraqi observers believe is a sign of Saddam’s increasing worry about his restive Shi’ite population. Saddam and his regime are Sunni, the minority branch of Islam in Iraq. In 1991, after Iraq’s defeat in the Gulf war, the Shi’ite Muslims, who predominate in the south, led a revolt that was brutally crushed by the Republican Guard. Abu Fadi, whose full name is being withheld for fear of reprisals against his family, said by satellite telephone from Kurdistan that the security forces had made the journey to Karbala difficult before the violence at the mosque. Other Iraqi sources independently confirmed the events he described. He left his neighbourhood of Baghdad, a poor, largely Shi’ite area, at 6am with his two sons, aged seven and five, and joined other men packed into a private minibus that was to travel to Karbala. The bus was twice stopped at checkpoints manned by a mixture of regular soldiers, members of the ruling Ba’ath party in their distinctive uniform and plainclothes security officials. Everyone in the bus was searched, as were others in the flood of vehicles heading south to Karbala, a journey that usually takes about an hour. Abu Fadi and his sons got as far as Aoun, seven miles short of Karbala, when they reached a barricade made with barrels and a long pole. It was manned by security forces, who barred the vehicles and told passengers they would “continue at their own risk”. “I thought maybe I should turn back, because I had my two young sons with me,” Abu Fadi said. “But we had already travelled so far, and I wanted to touch the shrine of Imam Hussein, so I said, ‘Let us continue walking.’ Thousands of people did the same. The road was very crowded.” After little more than half a mile, the road became difficult to walk upon — security forces had spread a thick layer of sand sprayed with water. Military vehicles drove by on the edge of the road, but did not turn people back. Abu Fadi and his sons finally reached the mosque at 1pm, after stopping to rest several times. As he neared the shrine, he grew frightened. Inside the mosque, soldiers were stationed with guns, a sacrilege that angered many in the crowd. When young men began beating their chests as a sign of the emotion they felt at nearing the burial place of Hussein, the soldiers attacked. “They began beating the people with the butts of their Kalashnikovs and megwaor (sticks with nails embedded at the end),” Abu Fadi said. “Everyone panicked. It seemed to me there was blood everywhere — screams and blood.” He said he managed to crouch in an alcove where men leave their shoes when they enter the mosque. He saw at least seven people who he believes had been killed. “One young man looked like he was sitting with his back to the wall but you could tell he was dead,” said Abu Fadi, whose shocked sons escaped with him. “His head was bloodied and his eyes were staring open. He was not breathing.” Not a word of the incident was officially reported, but several sources in Karbala and Baghdad put the death toll at 40, based on reports from the hospitals in the city. “The whole country has to celebrate the birthday of Saddam Hussein whether we want to or not,” said Abu Fadi. “Why should I be prohibited from celebrating the death of my Imam Hussein, this holy man?” Iraqi sources said hit-and-run attacks on Saddam’s forces in the south had now increased to the point where even heavily armed Iraqi military convoys had stopped travelling at night. Opposition groups such as the Iraqi National Congress are working in exile to unseat Saddam. However, they believe that the population will need a firm sign of American military support before risking a general revolt. [end of article] if anyone can get today's sunday times, it has some interesting photos showing armed soldiers around imam husein's shrine. ahmed _________________________________________________ http://www.aawsat.com ÊÇÈÚ ÇáÃÎÈÇÑ æÇÍÕá Úáì ÈÑíÏ ãÌÇäí Úáì http://www.aawsat.com ÚÈÑ Úä ÑÃíß Ýí ãÎÊáÝ ÇáãæÇÖíÚ ÇáÓíÇÓíÉ æ ÇáÅÞÊÕÇÏíÉ ÚáìãæÞÚ <BR> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- IRAQIJOKERS LIST SERVER (iraqijokers@salam2u.com) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - If you wish to leave this list, or you have any iraqijoker wannabe's you wish to recommend to this list please email the list administrator:- mohamed@nationwidetech.com - Iraqi Forum Board to post public opinions or jokes for all to see http://iraqi.myforum.net - Priority Action Group, for misrepresentation or bias of muslims in British Media. PAG list email :- priorityaction@egroups.co.uk. 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