Two ‘Meaningful’ Terror Bombings in Iraq………….
“Two bombings by guerrillas killed at least 40 Shiite pilgrims and wounded 68 in the holy city of Karbala, where hundreds of thousands of devotees had gathered to commemorate the hidden Twelfth Imam, who this branch of Shiism holds will return in the future as a sort of messiah figure (analogous to the return of Christ for many Christians). The time and place of the bombing made it especially dangerous for Iraq’s inter-sectarian politics. Karbala is sacred ground for Shiites, the burial place of the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, Imam Husayn, who was killed by the Muslim Umayyad dynasty in 680 CE (AD) and so is considered the supreme martyr. A big bombing in Karbala reverberates throughout Shiite Iraq and among Shiites everywhere…… Also on Monday, the offices of the al-Arabiya satellite television news network were bombed, killing 6 persons and wounding a member of parliament from the secular Iraqiya list of Iyad Allawi, Salam al-Zawbaie. The al-Arabiya offices are near to the Iraqiya headquarters……..” Juan Cole
Both heinous terrorist crimes. I still wonder if the bombing at Alarabiya was not related to its headlining allegations of corruption against the senior Shi’as cleric in the USA (in Dearborn, where else). The bombing came one day or so after the report which seems to have already faded. Alarabiya may have jumped the gun on that one and inflated the headline, as it often does when the news is negative for Shi’as. That particular item seems to have been non-news, so far anyway: a few people accusing in public with placards. Alarabiya has not been attacked after many other reports that are usually ani-Shi’a: so why this time.
The Alarabiya bombing was clearly a crime against the freedom of the press. The Karbala bombings are more serious, and have dangerous implications for Iraq, especially these days with political and sectarian tensions high.
Cheers
mhg
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