[Marxism] Thousands of Shiites will form human chain in Najaf, guarding shrine, Sadr

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

And speaking of President Bush, "whom unmerciful disaster followed fast
and followed faster." (Poe definitely,  The Raven I think.)  When those
sections of ordinary people who go to the polls do so, this is why no
amount of swearing allegiance to the war on Kerry's part will keep most
of them for voting for him, rather than the President who fought for the
war, launched  the war, occupied an historically independent nation, and
is the highest official responsible for the occupation.

I am all for the exposure of Kerry's position and what it means about
his course, but we should understand about how people who are not
vanguard opponents of capitalism, or professional liberal scribblers, or
professional in-the-middle types are going to look at facts like this.
I think they are going to fire the chief executive, and while I support
Kerry-Nader and am sympathetic to socialist campaigns, I can see where
they are coming from and do not see it as a step backward in any way,
shape, or form.

Meanwhile, the most important thing we can do right now is to get every
conscious antiwar fighter to the August 29 demonstration against Bush
and the war Bush has waged for imperialism, and make sure there are
plenty of signs and chants to express that view.  Their numbers are
going to be huge -- even more huge because of what the people of Najaf
are doing and accomplishing.

Fred Feldman





Thousands of Shiites to form human chain in Najaf guarding shrine, Sadr

(AFP)

13 August 2004



BAGHDAD - Thousands of Shiite Muslims vowed Friday to flock to the holy
city of Najaf to form a human chain around the revered Imam Ali shrine
after militia leader Moqtada Sadr was reportedly wounded in battle.

In a peaceful demonstration outside the heavily fortified Green Zone,
which houses the US embassy and some government offices, the Shiite men,
women and children vowed to guard the shrine and shield Sadr in the
fighting at Najaf.

"We are a group of 500 women, many of whom are young students, and we
plan to go tonight to Najaf and be part of a large human chain that we
will form surrounding the shrine and also Sadr," said 20-year-old Rajaa
Khayum, a resident of Sadr City, the Shiite stronghold of northeast
Baghdad.

Dressed in a traditional abaya, Khayum said hundreds of Sadr supporters
would leave in groups Friday evening and participate in the holy war,
but in a peaceful way.

"We do not have arms, but our bodies will be armour for the Imam Ali
shrine and Sadr. We will take the bullets of the Americans and are ready
to die martyrs for our religion and its son, Moqtada."

The gold-domed tomb of Prophet Mohammed's son-in-law Ali held by Sadr's
Mehdi Army has for centuries made the city of Najaf a place of
pilgrimage for Shiites seeking his blessing.

The religious importance of Najaf to Shiites, who make up the majority
in Iraq, was highlighted in early April 2003 when US troops invading
Iraq entered the city of half a million.

They were confronted by hundreds of angry civilians who blocked soldiers
from approaching the shrine, which is off-limits to non-Muslims.

A spokesman for the Shiite Muslim militia leader urged thousands of
partisans in Baghdad to march to Najaf on foot after Friday prayers.

"As we gather here, outside the headquarters of the agent of the
occupation who have brought nothing but death and destruction to this
country, we order you to march to Najaf on foot," said Sayed Hazem
al-Araji.

The besieged holy city lies 180 kilometers (110 miles) south of Baghdad.

Khayum, along with dozens of other women and thousands of men gathered
outside the Green Zone, were dancing and shouting slogans in support of
Sadr and his militant Mehdi army.

Demanding an immediate stop to the fighting at Najaf, Khayum said the
Iraqi and US forces should quickly exit the city.

"The government calls Sadr an outlaw. How can he be?" asked Khayum's
friend Aayam Mohammad, who had come to the demonstration despite a
shoulder injury, while a young supporter sprinkled rose water on the
sweating crowd.

Mohammad was also headed to Najaf later Friday.

"He (Sadr) is son of this land, of this religion. It is (Prime Minister)
Iyad Allawi who is the outlaw, an American spy. He and his ministers
should quit and also exit Najaf without any more bloodshed."

As the crowd gathered, dozens of American soldiers and Iraqi national
guards took positions outside the gates of the convention centre in the
Green Zone.

"Go away, go away. Stand far. Don't come close," one gun-toting soldier
said.

"We are not here to fight. We are here to give a message to the
government and the Americans that they should quit Najaf," said Mortada
Mohammed, a 25-year-old student of French literature.

"I challenge the coalition forces. Let them call Sadr an outlaw again
and see what happens."

Pro-Sadr demonstrations were held across Iraq, while in the main
southern city of Basra, a Sadr aide called on Iraqi police and national
guards to join the ranks of the Mehdi army.

"Either you are with us or against us," warned Sheikh Ahmed al-Maliky,
the deputy governor of Basra, as more than a thousand faithful gathered
for weekly prayers held on the street in the city centre outside Sadr's
office.

Thousands of Shiites also marched towards Najaf from Kufa, while
demonstrations supporting Sadr were being held in most key cities of
Iraq.



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