Shiite Blame Non-Muslims for Blasts in Iraqi Cities Shrines

Politics | March 2, 2004, Tuesday // 00:00
Shiite Blame Non-Muslims for Blasts in Iraqi Cities Shrines A series of blasts struck major Shiite Muslim shrines in Karbala and in Baghdad, claiming the lives of dozens on the final day of a major religious festival in Iraq. Photo by CNN

Shiite blamed non-Muslims for the series of coordinated blasts that struck major Shiite Muslim shrines in Karbala and in Baghdad on Tuesday as thousands of pilgrims converged for the final day of a major religious festival, international agencies reported. The pilgrims claim that a Muslim man could not do such thing on such a holy day.

"How is it possible that any man let alone a Muslim man does this on the day of al-Hussein," said Thaer al-Shimri, a member of the Shiite Al-Dawa party. "Today war has been launched on Islam."

Dozens were reported killed and injured in the blasts.

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and other Shiite communities came to the Iraqi shrines for the Ashoura festival, which marks the 7th century killing of Imam Hussein.

Imam Hussein, a grandson of the prophet Muhammad, is buried in Karbala and the blasts occurred near the golden-domed shrine which contains his tomb. The Kazimiya shrine in northern Baghdad contains the tombs of two other Shiite saints, Imam Mousa Kazem and his grandson Imam Muhammad al-Jawad.

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