Iraq Facing the Abyss Again: Of Wahhabi Killer Trucks. Bibi and Lieberman as Salafis
Iraq on the abyss again:
The violence in Iraq has been accelerating in recent weeks, and it is returning to the ominous pattern of 2006. Shi'a civilian gatherings are being almost exclusively targeted again. The more ominous terrorist suicide bombing was at the Kazimiya Shi'a shrine a few hours ago. Hundreds of pilgrims at the shrine were killed and wounded- it is not clear yet how many. This is reminiscent of the al-Samarra bombing that unleashed violent a sectarian turmoil three years ago. Suicide bombings are an exclusive trademark of Sunni extremists of the Wahhabi variety. Yesterday Iraqi officials had announced the arrest of the leader of AQI, but there is silence today about him.The viral sectarian media blitz in the vast Saudi media and in some of the Persian Gulf countries aimed at demonizing the Shi'as and their faith has ensured a continuous flow of potential terrorist bombers from some Arab countries. That campaign, while aimed at stemming Iranian influence, has had the most visible effect of inflaming domestic sectarian passions. It has put local Shi'a communities, even in countries like Bahrain where they form a huge majority, under suspicion and encouraged Sunni youth to espouse the extremist Wahhabi ideology and volunteer for the killing trucks of Iraq.
This unfortunate shift to localize a legitimate 'anti-Iranian' media campaign has spread even to countries that have hardly any Shi'as, such as Egypt. Egypt, a country whose main Muslim monuments like al-Azhar were founded by a Shi'a dynasty, now surprisingly has the most virulent anti-Shi'a government, where plots to convert people to the Shi'a sect are uncovered daily by Mr. Mubarak's secret police and security thugs. Even the idea of establishing a Shi'a mosque is considered subversive in that bastion of the New Middle East, as several Iraqis and other Gulf citizens were arrested last week for adopting the idea. This is partly to cover up the government's frustration at the mess in Gaza which they can't control: a government that cannot control a sliver of border with Gaza. It is also partly to show that Egypt still matters in regional affairs, and that it is not solely a sidekick of one family's petro-dynasty. Even the Fatah-PLO security men, when they were in Gaza, used the Shi'a card to taunt their Hamas Sunni rivals in public. It did not work then as the results of the last election showed.
Even Ehud Olmert suddeny became a good Wahhabi as he and his officials occasionally slipped into warning repeatedly against a Shi'a threat rather than an Iranian threat. Expect to see Bibi Netanyahu and his pal Avigdor Lieberman, that consummate Arab-baiter, to start making the right noises about a Shi'a threat. Lieberman may eschew his former idea of expelling Israeli Arabs in favor of expelling only Israeli Shi'as- except that there are none. No matter, it may solidify relations with the petro-dynasty.
Cheers
mhg
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