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| Iraq | ||
| Bomb Targets "key" Shiite cleric | ||
| 2003-08-24 | ||
| A bomb exploded Sunday outside the house of one of Iraqi’s most important Shiite clerics, killing three guards and injuring 10 others including family members. How many "key" clerics can a religion have, anyway? The gas cylinder was placed along the outside wall of the home of Mohammed Saeed al-Hakim in Najaf, Shiite Islam’s holiest cities. It exploded just after noon prayers. I’m no expert, but isn’t the gas cylinder thing more of a field expedient for locals? Doesn’t sound like graduate work. The cleric suffered scratches on his neck, according to Abdel-Aziz al-Hakim, a member of Iraq’s U.S.-picked Governing Council and leader of what was the armed wing of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, headquartered in Iran before the war. Al-Hakim is one of the most influential families in the Shiite community. Iraqi newspapers reported last week that the cleric al-Hakim had received threats against his life. He also is one of three top Shiite leaders threatened with death by a rival Shiite cleric shortly after Saddam Hussein was toppled April 9.
A day after Saddam’s ouster, a mob in Najaf hacked to death a Shiite cleric who had returned from exile. Abdul Majid al-Khoei was killed when a meeting called to reconcile rival Shiite groups erupted into a melee at the Shrine of Ali, one of Shiite Islam’s holiest sites.
Speaking of cultural things, if they had the oft-deplored American "handgun culture" instead of the Islamic bomb culture, there sure would be fewer wounded bystanders. | ||
| Posted by:Mark IV |
| #6 Lucky - I think I saw something along the lines of a Holy Mosques / Shrines list once - I'll look around. Of course, since the reporters don't know dick, anyone they interview could tell them something is very holy and he'd report it. PC issues alone would dictate to the editor to leave it as quoted, too. I think the Black Hats, fuddy-duddies that they are, ruled against the 3-pointer some time ago, preferring to reserve the right to be offensive to themselves... ;) Charles - I like the idea of the Holy Trashcan. Pretty sure we could work something up along these lines... Maybe use it as a Rule 'O Thumb for future stories... "So, is this holier than the Holy Trashcan?" - ala Monty Python's Holy Inquisition routines... ;) (I can hear the Peter Gunn theme now...) Does Islam have a parallel for (insert drum roll) the cushy chair, you ask? I'm sure we can accomodate that, too! And the Bishop - can't forget him! Mebbe one of those Paki loonies (Fazi? Qazi? Fuzzy Wuzzy?) could be the Bishop in future snarf stories... ;) |
| Posted by: .com 2003-8-24 10:26:36 PM |
| #5 200 years from now, Shiites will be worshipping the 'Holy Trashcan of Shit'. Said to be the last dump that the 'infedels'( that's us ) took on the ' Holy Land'. It was quickly taken and enshrined in a trashcan. That trashcan was later enshrined in gold and has been a gathering place for all Muslims ever since. |
| Posted by: Charles 2003-8-24 5:27:27 PM |
| #4 Anybody got a check list of The Most Holy sites of Islam. Could you start with the Most Most holy site" and ending in the "sort of holy site". Also I heard that if you pray at certain most holy sites you get extra points from god. Does anyone know what the point amounts are. Do Shiites award points differently than Sunnis do, like two point shots vs a three point line. Is there general agreement as to which sites are trully most holy or is there a rift regarding these places. Do most holy places from some other religions that have been taken over by Islam have any significance in awarding a most holy award. |
| Posted by: Lucky 2003-8-24 5:09:32 PM |
| #3 Life expectancy for Shiite clerics that don't toe the Iranian party line seems to be pretty short. You would think that Iran would focus on its internal issues. |
| Posted by: Steve D 2003-8-24 1:26:13 PM |
| #2 Mike - I heard about one of these - seems they blew up the Bahrani equivalent of a dumpster just before I left Saoodi in April. When the new "King" lifted the forced exile of the loonies as a goodwill gesture, he really invited this stupidity. I was happy to hear that Ryk's (over by the Grand Mosque) is safe & still going strong... best chicken fried steak in the M.E. ;-) |
| Posted by: .com 2003-8-24 12:20:26 PM |
| #1 ...FWIW, the ol' Mark I gas cylinder is a traditional weapon-of-choice in Bahrain, where there has been a low-level fight going on for some years now between the Bahraini authorities, Iraqi-backed gunnies and Iranian-backed gunnies. Normally, the cylinders go straight (kinda) into the air - it's a helluva sight. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2003-8-24 11:33:19 AM |