Iraqi troops use ancient mosques to shelter from US attacks

The Daily Telegraph ^ | April 3, 2003 | David Blair and Michael Smith

[MadIvan]

Allied commanders said Iraqi forces fired at US troops from the golden-domed Ali mosque in Najaf, one of the most important shrines of Shia Islam.

The accusation, which could not be independently verified, came as US troops fought fierce battles in and around the cities of Karbala and Najaf.

To Muslims the names of these cities carry the same emotional, mystical charge as Jerusalem and Mecca.

Allied commanders said their troops had strict instructions not to fire on the shrines and the US troops did not return the fire, said Brig-Gen Vincent Brooks in Qatar.

"The Iraqi regime's use of the Ali mosque for military purposes to trigger a coalition response is just the latest example of the regime's continued strategy of placing sacred sites in Iraq in jeopardy," Gen Brookes said.

Iraq responded by accusing the coalition of bombing mosques and trying to destroy the most sacred tombs of the Shi'ite faith in the Muslim holy cities of Najaf and Karbala. Mohammed Said al-Sahhaf, the information minister, said the coalition was "trying to crack the buildings by flying low over them".

The 101st Airborne Division was sent into Najaf, 100 miles south of Baghdad, at the weekend to stop Fedayeen paramilitaries from using it as a base.

The mosque's golden dome and ornate clocktower house the shrine of Ali, the fourth Caliph of Islam, son-in-law of Mohammed and the spiritual founder of the Shia tradition.

A large gatehouse, flanked by two minarets, guards the spacious courtyard that contains the shrine, whose intricate blue tiles shimmer in the sunlight.

To the north is one of the largest cemeteries in the world. Shias from all across the world believe that burial in Najaf is the greatest honour. Tradition holds that a pilgrimage to Najaf is a sure route to paradise.

Both Abraham and Isaac are believed to have lived in the city. Abraham called the land on which today's cemetery is found the Valley of Peace and said it was part of Paradise.

This mixture of tradition and spiritual significance makes Najaf a place of pilgrimage for Shias worldwide. It is difficult to think of a more delicate setting for the might of the American army.

The US troops continued working from house to house yesterday taking control of the city as part of a more concerted effort to end the Fedayeen attacks.

Karbala came under attack early yesterday as US troops advanced on Republican Guard forces south of the Iraqi capital.

The US troops bypassed the city, fighting through defences to the east of the town within three hours and against only light resistance.

They took about 30 prisoners, some of whom were members of the Republican Guard's Medina Division.

But no attempt was made to take the city because some Iraqi troops were said to be barricaded inside the city's al-Hussein mosque, which includes the shrine of Hussein ibn Ali.

The shrine has similar significance for Shia Muslims to that of Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity for Christians.

Hussein's murder in Karbala in 680 marked the schism between the Shia and Sunni Islamic traditions.

He was cut down alongside 70 followers, an event commemorated to this day by a large red flag that flies from the mosque's dome. The story has gained a standing in Shia thinking comparable to the crucifixion for Christians.

Making the pilgrimage to Karbala is a crucial part of the spiritual life of any Shia. It may now be a city with more than 500,000 inhabitants, yet the minarets and dome of the al-Hussein mosque still dominate its skyline.

The surrounding expanse of parched, flat countryside ensures that this glittering display is visible for miles around.

If the mosque were to be damaged in battle, the fury felt by Shias worldwide would be indescribable.

In 1991, Karbala was the centre of the Shia uprising against Saddam Hussein's regime and the mosque's dome was blackened and pockmarked by bullets.

But after crushing the revolt, Saddam tried to make amends by repairing the damage at great expense.

He may now try to lure America into damaging the mosque by deploying his forces around it which was one of the reasons the allies decided to bypass it.

[MadIvan]

I suggest we get our Kurdish allies to come in and take care of it. The Muslims seem to care less if the slaughtering is done by other Muslims.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[Argus]

Excellent suggestion. I was thinking the anti-Saddam Shia should be issued arms and told to root those infidels out of their sacred shrines themselves, but the Kurds would probably do.

[VRWCmember]

But no attempt was made to take the city because some Iraqi troops were said to be barricaded inside the city's al-Hussein mosque, which includes the shrine of Hussein ibn Ali. The shrine has similar significance for Shia Muslims to that of Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity for Christians. Hussein's murder in Karbala in 680 marked the schism between the Shia and Sunni Islamic traditions. He was cut down alongside 70 followers, an event commemorated to this day by a large red flag that flies from the mosque's dome. The story has gained a standing in Shia thinking comparable to the crucifixion for Christians.

The two primary differences being:
1. Hussein's death didn't atone for anyone's sin;
2. Hussein's remains are purportedly still in his Shrine since he didn't rise from the dead three days later.

[IronJack]

I understood that the coalition's orders were to withhold fire on such sites except in self defense, and that our soldiers held their fire in this case at their own discretion, not because they were forbidden.

In any case, it is clear who can claim forbearance, and who is making a mockery of holy sanctuary. But what could I expect from Muslims?

[tracer]

Nice touch, Ivan......

[noutopia]

Muslim cowards.Pure and simple.

[Benjamin Dover]

Two suggestions: 1. Tear gas-It's not gonna kill any civilians inside, no real damage to the building and it should get the cowards outside. 2. Play Barbara Streisand's Yentyl soundtrack over loud speakers. That should just about do it.

[GovernmentShrinker]

This is a situation where those nifty neutron bombs would come in handy.

[supercat]

1. Tear gas-It's not gonna kill any civilians inside, no real damage to the building and it should get the cowards outside.

Isn't that considered a "chemical weapon" these days? I'd suggest simply using some moveable barricades to build a bulletproof wall around the mosque; leave the wall there until we have enough Shia allies to take out the Sunnis who are inside desecrating the site.

[rogue yam]

Not all Kurds are Muslim. Many are something called "Yezidi" which apparently has been around for a while. This is the source of some of the trouble Kurds face in that part of the world.

Here's a link:

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Thebes/2153/yezidi.html