Marqad al Imamain al Askareain

Who demolished Samarra Shrine?

The Chaos Theory

The Reichstag Theory

The Government Plot Theory

The Tehran Theory

The Great Satan Theory

"It Doesn't Matter Who":
Iraq Is Lost Camp vs Iraq Will Succeed Camp



A boy injured by a car bomb explosion looks up while recovering in a hospital, in Karbala, 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Feb.25, 2006. A car bomb exploded Saturday in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, killing at least six people, including two women, and injuring more than 52, police said. The attack occurred as Baghdad and three nearby provinces were on a second day of a daytime curfew aimed at dampening the wave of sectarian violence that has killed more than 140 people since the bombing of a Shiite shrine.
(AP Photo/Alaa Al-Marjani)


Who blew up the dome on the Al-Askareyya Shrine (aka The Golden Mosque) in Samarra? Everyone has a theory. I'll stick with detailing the viewpoints of Iraqi bloggers. But go down the Blog Roll on the right to get everyone elses point of view. I recommend you first check out Chris Allbritton and The Mudville Gazette.

Theory 1: The Chaos Theory

Perpetrator: Al-Qaeda In Iraq (aka Zarqawi/jihadis) or ex-Saddam Regime criminals (aka Saddam's Orphans) or both (aka The Return Party).

Purpose: To start a civil war for the purpose of general mayhem in the midst of which they can jettison the Iraqi democracy as unworkable and step in as Iraq's nationlist, unity, and security dictatorship and protector of morality.

Who believes this story: Hammorabi does:

The barbaric and savage attack on the Shire of Imam Al-Hassan Al-Askari in Samara is a continuation of the barbarism of the Saudi Wahabi terrorism, which started such destruction against the entire ancient heritage.

Hassan of An Average Iraqi believes it (I think so, the alternative would only make me sad):

I believe that the reason for such an attack, is an attempt to stir up civil war, between the Shias and Sunnis. In addition, of course, Al-Sadr is not helping at all...Does he not notice that he is falling into the plain trap laid in front of him?

Also, the US military sees the Return Party's hand in the bombing:

[Col. Jeffrey Snow of the Multinational Division Baghdad said] "You know, the terrorists would like to see this break out in civil war."

...and in the spreading of false stories of mosques being destroyed.

US coalition spokesman, Major-General Rick Lynch... also suggested that the figures on attacks were exaggerated: "We believe there are people out there generating false reports... making things seem worse than they are. There have been pockets of violence, but we don't see that as a precursor to civil war." [He added] that US-led coalition forces have increased their presence alongside Iraqi security forces to defuse the situation.

I confess this is my favorite theory because of its simplicity. In every way this attack benefits the same people who have been engineering chaos in Iraq since April of 2003. And in no way can it hurt them. You can't say that about any other party. This is ostensibly a Shi'a mosque (not really since it's construction pre-dates the Shi'a and Sunni schools). Zarqawi and Zawahiri have not been at all ambivalent about their opinion of the Shi'a religion ("turn-coat deviants"). They have made it clear since late 2003 or early 2004 that platform number one in their mission is to generate a sectarian civil war in Iraq between Sunni and Shi'a Arabs to drive out the U.S. A war between these parties is also useful to them in that if Shi'a are (or perceived to be) attacking Sunni Arabs, the Return Party can step in as the Sunnis' protectors. The great thing about a plot like this is that the perpetrators need no higher goal than chaos for the sake of chaos. It fits with their M.O. (ala Tal Afar). Their propaganda cells can run around spreading false stories about attacks on Sunnis and Sunni mosques, or they can sit back and let Iraqis do it for them. They can put on black pajamas, Iraqi Army uniforms, or come as they are. It doesn't matter. They can launch attacks indescriminately on Sunni or Shi'a Iraqis (They don't care. Either they're turn-coat deviants or "traitorous apostates"), or they can let Iraqis do it to each other. There is no sense in which blowing up a holy site in Iraq redounds against them. They've been sending carbombs and murder-suicide bombers against plenty of mosques up until now. How could this hurt them more?

Even if one correctly identifies these guys as the perpetrators, the tendency is to play into their hands.

Since Sunni Arabs have been the boosters and/or apologists of these groups;
Since they have been the most likely to push fatuous myths of a patriotic, indigenous, clean-handed Resistance that only attacks "occupiers" (who, incidentally, are in Iraq at the behest of the freely elected Iraqi government: Kurd, Shi'a Arab, and Sunni Arab)
...because of that, Sunni Arabs as a whole tend to get blamed right along with the actual perpetrators. Causing Sunni persecution by Shi'a Iraqis or by the Iraqi government fits into their plans as surely as overt attacks against Shi'a Arabs.

The stunningly logical and non-partisan Ali of Free Iraqi posts about the unfairness of blaming the Sunni Arabs for Iraq's misery. He says all Iraqis are culpable in Saddam's crimes, whether Sunni or Shi'a. With snark that Jeffrey would be proud of, he says:

Since the end of the war every atrocity committed in Iraq was attributed to the Sunnis, not just the Ba'athists or radical Sunnis but all Sunnis. The poor She'at and Kurds have been suffering for hundreds of years while the Sunnis were all privileged and living in a paradise called Iraq, which is not the same Iraq She'at and Kurds were living in as in that Iraq goods were cheap, salaries hit the skies and we had TV shows where comedians make fun of Saddam. No one had to serve in the military and we were free to travel anywhere we wanted. In those times only She'at and Kurds were forced to serve in the army while Sunnis only worked as managers and ministers. Those poor She'at soldiers and officers were forced to kill their own people in the south and bomb their most holy shrine in Krabala in the 1991 uprising...

...She'at are no better than Sunnis and the Sadirists and the SCIRI are worse than Saddam. You spoke against Saddam and you're a traitor. You speak against Sadr and you're an infidel AND a traitor. It's only the American presence that's making them tone down their oppression and commit their crimes in the dark.

While Ali does admit that Sunnis have been supporting Zarqawi and Saddam's Orphans, he says that's in the past now. Maybe. But not totally. Still, one thing is for sure, taking retribution on the Sunni Arabs plays into al-Qaeda's hand.

Whoever did this, Zarqawi is laughing his hump off at the US and all the Iraqis whether they be turn-coat deviants or traitorous apostates. IMHO

Theory 2: The Reichstag Theory

Perpetrator: The Mehdi Army (aka Sadr's Thugs)

Purpose: To have a cause-celeb to rally their faithful, sweep them into power, and purge the Sunni Arabs and other infidels from Iraq. In 1933 Germany, just before an election in which the Nazis were running on an anti-Communist platform, Hitler sent his thugs to set fire to the German government building and symbol of its democracy, The Riechstag. The Nazis blamed the Communists and used the event to sweep Hitler to power. There is a lot to recommend this theory: All the stories of black pajamas attacking Sunnis all over Baghdad. It has a proven history of success.

Who believes this story? Errr...hard to say. Everybody and nobody. It's doesn't seem to be in any Iraqi's interests to buy this story. Even those who see Sadr as culpable prefer to see him as an arm of the Jaffari's Internal Ministry or Iran. But there are some exceptions: IraqPundit seems to see Sadr behind this.

Anyway,Omar at Iraq the Model, senses in the Iraqi Defense Ministers most recent statement that he is through jacking with Sadr's thugs:

The defense minister added that they are working in the government on activating the counter-terrorism laws which includes "arresting anyone who's found guilty of provoking violence".
(emphasis Omar's)

I hope Omar is right. We'll see. Personally, though, this theory is my favorite backup theory.

Theory 3: The Government Plot Theory

Perpetrator: The "Iran-friendly" UIA/SCIRI Iraqi Government

Purpose: Umm...I don't know exactly. Maybe they want Iraq partitioned? Maybe they want a Sunni purge? Revenge over Saddam? There are as many potential motivations as there are Shi'a.

Who believes this theory? Maybe Zeyad (who, along with ITM, is doing a yeomans job of documenting the mayhem)

In reply to my question about whether the al-Qaeda is generating false reports of attacks on mosques to fan the flames of a civil war, he said:

CMAR, you don't seem to get it. This is not a Qaeda vs. Iraqis conflict anymore, it's a Shi'ite dominated government vs. Sunni community conflict. These are not false reports of attacks I am posting, these are very well documented attacks with pictures and eyewitnesses from different areas of Baghdad and Iraq. If you understood Arabic, I would have directed you to Iraqi local tv channels which continue to receive mayday phone calls from citizens in Baghdad, except the governmental channels of course. There is fighting outside in my area. Now they are using mortar shells. The US military is nowhere to be seen. And perhaps that's a good thing. They can't afford to be forced to side with one group over the other. Just try to get this whole Al-Qaeda/Saddam orphans hype out of your head for a moment.
That time is over.

This statement doesn't necessarily mean he buys the theory though. He might only think the government is exploiting it. But many Iraqis do.

Zeyad's argument worries me however, because it seems to imply a justification for a general Sunni Arab war against the Iraqi government. It is the persistance of the insurgency (I contend) that gave the UIA an increase in their seats in the last election, and legitimizes the Badr Brigade and the Mehdi Army as neighborhood watchdogs. War against the Iraqi government is what a small minority of Sunni Arabs have been doing all along, it is what the majority of Sunni Arabs have been winking at all along, and it is just the thinking that has helped the insurgency to persist. It is in the interests of the Iraqi Sunni Arabs for a fight against the government to end...they are vastly outnumbered, and they will lose.

Theory 4: The Tehran Theory

Perpetrator: Iran

Purpose: See Theory 3: The Government Plot.

Who believes this theory? Reportedly many Iraqi Sunnis do. Honestly, it is hard for me to distinguish this theory from the "Government Plot" Theory or the Riechstag Theory since it always seems to come back to SCIRI or Sadr or both as co-conspirators, but perhaps the line is starker for some Iraqis. Maybe not, though (from the linked article):

The Iraqi National Accord party, headed by former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, a secular Shiite, accused the pro-Iran Shiite coalition United Iraqi Alliance and the followers of the firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr of carrying out revenge attacks on Sunni mosques during which over 100 people were left dead.The Iraqi Islamic Party had a similar position. The party’s secretary general Tareq al-Hashemi told the al-Arabia satellite channel on Thursday, “The Shiite coalition and the followers of Sadr as well as their foreign supporters are behind this aggression”.


The IIP has been a big booster for the insurgency up until now. So it should surprise no one that they see everyone, and I mean everyone, behind this plot except the insurgency...even to the extent of imagining that Iran worked with the US military to pull this off. Which leads us to The Great Satan Theory.

Theory 5: The Great Satan Theory

Perpetrator: The US Military/CIA/Mosaad

Purpose: Divide and Control. Get the Shi'a and Sunnis fighting each other as a distraction and then the US can sneak the oil out of the country.

The great thing about this theory is that it requires no deep thinking. It is founded soley on another brainless premise a) that the US is behind every evil act that occurs in the world and b) that everything but everthing is in its interest except for the decent people of the world to rise up and throw off the chains of American Imperialism. Since the US has spent a lot of blood and money forming a democratic government (that supposedly is peopled by its puppets), one would normally presume that sectarian war would be the worst thing the US could imagine. But nooooooo, not if you are the Great Satan (see my published conversation between the Great Satan and an "in-the-know" Arab)

Who believes this theory? Wackos. Fools. The bloggers' equivalent of the Heavens Gate cultists. And most of the Arabs in Egypt, the West Bank, and Jordan.

Even Raed Jarrar is hawking this theory. Remember that, from the very beginning, Raed has been predicting an Iraqi-on-Iraqi civil war that would force the US from the region (I'd love to link to the first instance of it, but since Raed's move to one of the most expensive cities in the US, the post has faced a Stalin-like purge). But now? Oh no! This isn't the one he was talking about. This civil war is the US's doing. Eagle at Truth has posted on an interview Raed gave at Democracy Now! Eagle thinks this theory is so ludicrous even DN! doesn't want to be associated with it. I'm sorry, but I'm not believing that there is a Great Satan Theory that DN! won't buy.

Ladybird and Truth-About-Iraqis are flogging this theory too. You know, maybe you can't learn much about the quality of a book by who is quoted on the blurbs. But I believe the opposite is true for conspiracy theories.

"It Doesn't Matter Who":
Iraq Is Lost Camp vs Iraq Will Succeed Camp

The "Iraq Is Lost" conclusion is founded on the premise that "a civil war among the Iraqis is inevitable". This has been a popular theory among the White Flag Democrats and the Lindberg Republicans. It has also been a popular theory among anyone in the world who has wanted Iraq to fail. It's convenient. If Iraq's failure is inevitable; if the Iraqis have "a right" to a civil war; then it is not "defeatism" to say that no one can save Iraq from disaster and the best thing is for the US to get out of the way, stop prolonging the inevitable, and let the bodies in Iraq pile up as high as they can so they can be laid at the feet of George W. Bush. Hahahahaha!

However, American Conservative icon, William F. Buckley (a perpetual iconoclast) has declared the war lost:

Our mission has failed because Iraqi animosities have proved uncontainable by an invading army of 130,000 Americans. The great human reserves that call for civil life haven't proved strong enough. No doubt they are latently there, but they have not been able to contend against the ice men who move about in the shadows with bombs and grenades and pistols.

The Iraqi bloggers who weren't predicting Iraq's failure before aren't doing it now (with one exception). This isn't surprising. What alternative do they have? For them, Iraq has to succeed (but I sense many are afraid to hope as well). The thing is, though, that America is in the same boat. After 9-11, we could have done what Europe has been doing: Sit back and hope Takfirism stopped spreading on its own and that Middle Eastern/Muslim marginalization would stop its inexorable march to turning the region into a garden of hate, or kick over one of the worst actors in of heart of the region and attempt to remake the place from there. Option One was a fool's proposition to begin with. It is doubly so now.

24 Steps To Liberty sees Iraqis coming together (February 23rd & 25th). The wise IraqPundit says of the gleeful reports of inevitable open civil war:

Those who have followed the Iraq story carefully might recall that if we were to believe press reports, there would have been no constitution written, there would have been no elections, and the Sunnis would never have joined the government.

Coming back to the logical Ali, if Theory 1 is correct, then Ali is also one step ahead of The Return Party: He says a little civil war might not be a bad thing for Iraq as long as the US does not pull out. Also, check out his post on the much maligned INS Party (Chalabi's secular Shi'a-dominated party).

Aftermath Samarra

IRAQ THE MODEL: "The shrine crisis…words that need to be said.
Life is coming back to normal in Baghdad and marketplaces and offices are open again after being shut for 4 days. Although there were a few security incidents today people are mostly looking at these as part of the usual daily situation and not related to the latest shrine crisis.

But, what can we learn from this lesson and how can we make benefit from it in avoiding similar problems in the future.

It's not a secret who was behind the attack on the shrine and I am sure that who did it were the Salafi/Wahabis whether Iraqi or foreigners and with external support from parties planning to disrupt the political process in Iraq.
The reason I believe it's the Salafis who did it comes from their own ideology which considers all mosques built upon tombs as places of polytheism and infidelity and thus must be destroyed. This also applies to Sunni shrines like Abu Haneefa and al-Gailani; Salafis consider the Shia and the Sufis their worst enemies and they commonly refer to them in their speech with the term 'tomb worshippers' or Mushrikoon Quborioon in Arabic.

It's worth reminding that this is not the first time Salafis try to destroy the shrines in Iraq; their armies invaded Iraq back in the 19th century and burned the shrines in Kerbala and Najaf before the Ottoman empire repelled them and stopped them from reaching Baghdad where they were planning to destroy the shrines of al-Kazum, Abu Haneefa and al-Gailani (Shia, Sunni and Sufi respectively).

Followers of other sects would not dare do something like this because they fear the wrath of the imams; our culture has many stories about the supernatural powers possessed by the deceased imams. These stories planted fear in our hearts from even talking badly about them, let alone blowing up their tombs!

This leaves only "

Samarra: There Are No Tears Left

Samarra: There Are No Tears Left: "Samarra: There Are No Tears Left
by Felicity Arbuthnot

Samarra.
Travelling in Iraq during the regime of Saddam Hussein required permits to requested destinations and often wheedling, begging, boxes of baqlawa - a day's calorie intake in one mouth watering, sticky delicacy - and, when all else failed, tears. Requesting a detour en route to a planned destination would me met with refusal and stern: ' you have not the permit ...' Except for Samarra. Travelling to and from northern Mosul, sighting the golden domes of the Askari shrine, glinting in the sun, thirty kilometres from the main road, the driver's face (whether Shi'a, Sunni, Christian) always lit at the request.Permits forgotten, we would speed towards the great, golden spheres, growing ever, magnificently, shimmeringly larger, the closer approached. Samarra is in Salahuddin Governorate, named for the warrior credited with driving the Crusaders from Eqypt, Palestine and Syria.
From 836 A.D. to 891 A.D., Samarra was Mesapotamia's Abbasid Capitol. Though the city's prominece as first city was short, it's scientific, literary and artistic splendours,remain legendary in Arab history. The tenth and eleventh Imams, Ali al-Hadi and his son Hassan al-Askari are entombed under the golden dome. The twelfth Imam, Muhammed al-Mahdi, who Shi'a believe will return as the world's saviour, is believed born in Samarra. The spiral minaret (malwiya) a 'syntheis of Babylonian ziggurat and Islamic architecture', was described by British archeologist, Sir Mortimer Wheeler as having ' ..9th century qualities which bridge the centuries. The Malwiya is a truly great and rather lonely masterpiece ' of '.. startling originality.' (Karen Dabrowska: Iraq, the Bradt Travel Guide.) US soldiers were unaware th"

Who r buried in Samarra Shrine?

The Tenth Imam
Imam Ali Al-Hadi (AS)
Name - Ali

Title - An-Naqi and Al-Hadi

Kunyat - Abul Hasan

Born - Friday 15th of Zilhajj 212 A.H., at Surba

Father's Name - Muhammad ibn Ali

Mother's Name - Summana Khatoon

Died - At the age of 42 years, at Samarra , on Monday, 26th Jamadi-ul-Akhar 254 AH. Poisoned by Mu'taz the Abbaside Caliph

Buried - at Samarra, Baghdad.
Imam Ali Al-Hadi(as) The Infallible tenth Holy Imam


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Name: Ali(as)
Title: Al-Hadi and Al-Naqi
Kunyat: Abu Hassan
Born: On Friday, 15th of Thul Al-Hijja, 212 AH, in Surba
Father: The Nineth Imam Mohammad Al-Jawad(as)
Mother: Al-Sayyidah Summana Khatoon
Date of death: 3rd Rajab 254AH, at the age of 42 years old.
Cause of Death: Murdered by poisoning by Mutazz Ibin Mutawakkil Al-Abbassi
Buried: In Samarra, northern Iraq.
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The Tenth Holy Imam Ali AI-Hadi the son of the Imam Mohammad AI-Jawad and Al-Sayyidah Samanah.
He died of poisoning,and was buried in Samarra, Iraq, by his son the Eleventh Imam Hassan Al-Askari(as) where his shrine stands today.

He remarkably excelled all others of his time in the fields of human perfections, as vast knowledge, generosity, politeness of manners, worshipping of Allah(swt), with moral qualities and discipline.

As one example of his generosity is that he paid thirty thousand Dirhams to an Arab man of Kufa, saying to him,

"We pay your debts."

The man then, thanking the Imam said,
"Sir, the debts on me is only about one third of the amount you gave!" The Imam added,

"Spend the rest on your family and your people."

The man in astonishment of the Imam's generosity said,
"Allah knows who to entrust with His Message of Divine Guidance!" Then he left.

Imam Ali un Naqi (as),

a brief look into his Life






Name:
Ali

Titles:
An-Naqi, Al-Haadi.

Kuniyya:
Abul Hasan.

Birth:
Friday 15th Dhulhijjah 212 a.h. in Surba (Suburb of Madina).

Mother:
Bibi Sumaana (Seyyida).

Father:
Imam Muhammad At-Taqi (a.s.)

Death:
3rd Rajab 254 a.h. in Samarra aged 42 yrs. Poisoned by Mu'taz.

Buried:
In Samarra in his house.



Parents, Birth & Childhood
Imam Ali un Naqi (a.s.)'s mother was a very pious lady who spent her whole life fasting. The 10th Imam has said that his mother was one of the ladies of paradise and one of those from 'Ahlul Haqq' (people of truth).

Imam Ali un Naqi (a.s.) became an Imam at the age of 8 years. The khalifa wrote to the governor of Medina asking him to send the young Imam to a person called Junaydi for tutorage (the governor of Madina was threatened that if he did not do this than the people of Madina would be annihilated). Junaydi was a well known poet of that time and 'anti - Ahlulbayt' and was 80 years old. The Khalifa felt that if this was done than anything that the Imam did or said could be attributed to Junaydi i.e. it was taught to Imam by Junaydi. When Junaydi was once asked about the progress of his student he said :

"I am the student and he is the teacher. I now know what knowledge is. What I say is because of what I have been taught by Imam".

The Khalifa's plan had failed yet again.

For a while the Khalifa left Imam in peace and freedom as they were engrossed in sorting out their own affairs (Removing the Iranians from power; adding the Turks and establishing power in Samarra). Imam used the time to open Madrasas and the atmosphere in the mosque of the Prophet was once again like in the time of the 6th Imam Ja'fer As-Sadiq (a.s.)

Imamate - His Life & Works
Imam Ali un Naqi (as) served the longest period of Imamate (besides the 12th Imam) - 34 years which can be divided into two parts - 17 years of freedom and 17 years under arrest.
In 234 a.h. came one of the most tyrannical rulers of the Abbasid Khilafate - Mutawakkil. He ruled with tyranny, killing, looting and terrorising especially those who were the followers of Ahlulbayt. Mutawakkil is also the one who ordered the desecration of the grave of Imam Husayn (a.s.) wanting to remove Imam's body and burn it (He did not succeed). He tried running water over the grave so no traces of the grave would remain but was unsuccessful. He ordered that all those wanting to visit Kerbala would have their fingers cut off, then hand and feet cut then only be able to go if one other from the family was killed. Imam still asked Shias to visit Kerbala. When Mutawakkil saw that all had failed and it did not discourage the visits than he banned all visits to Kerbala completely.

Mutawakkil called Imam to Samarra. Imam was called under the pretext of respect and love towards him. Imam was aware of Mutawakkil's intentions but went knowing that this would be an opportunity to show the Turks too what true Islam was. On arriving in Samarra the Turkish spies sent with Imam were amazed at Imam's knowledge of the Turkish language when he had never visited the Turks before.

It was an opportunity for Imam to prepare the Mu'mineen in Samarra for ghaibat. Imam was put up in an Inn which was meant for beggars, destitute and criminals. From this Inn he was removed and put into the custody of an evil man called Zarraqui (who changed to be an avid supporter of Imam) and then a man called Seyyid.

Mutawakkil knew of the progress Imam had made in Madina in 14 years of spreading knowledge. In fact he himself had to ask Imam when the Caesar of Rome wrote to him (Mutawakkil) to ask him:

"I have heard that there is a chapter of a divinely revealed book which does not contain the letters ( t d k S X ) and if this chapter is recited it grants the reciter paradise! I would like to know which chapter and in which book and why these letters are not present".
Mutawakkil's 'Ulema' were confused and eventually Mutawakkil turned to Imam. Imam told him that the chapter was Suratul Fatiha in the Qur'an and the above letters were not present because it was a chapter of mercy and each of the above letters represented words of Adhab (punishment) or Ghadhab (anger of Allah).
e.g.*- jaheem (hell), *- khusr (loss), *- zaqqum (fruit of Jahannam)

Mutawakkil seeing that he could not humiliate Imam in any way, he announced his arrival in Samarra as Ibnur Ridha (son of 8th Imam) and subjected him to things such as handing him a glass of wine in his hands in his court, asking him to sing, making him run in front of his (Mutawakkil's) carriage..etc. Imam Hasan Al-Askery (a.s.) was placed under separate house arrest than his father at the young age of 5 years as Mutawakkil did not want the birth of the 12th Imam.

Whilst under house arrest Imam Ali An-Naqi (a.s.) arranged for the coming of Bibi Nargis to Samarra and for her to be well versed in Fiqh by his learned sister Bibi Hakima.
Imam spent his life making the imminent ghaibat of the 12th Imam easier. Soon after, Mutawakkil was killed by his own son who could not withstand the behaviour of his father.

After Mutawakkil's death his son Muntasir was the successor and he lifted the restrictions of visiting Kerbala. His rule was unlike his father's tyranny but remained in power for only 6 months and died at the age of 25 years. Then came Mustan Billah (Ahmed bin Mo'tasam) followed by Mo'taz Billah who continued his tyranny on Imam and his followers.

Martyrdom
Mo'taz arranged for the poisoning of Imam through an ambassador and Imam was martyred on Monday 3rd Rajab 254 a.h. nobody except Imam Hasan Askery (a.s.) was present at the time of his death. he gave his father ghusl and kafan and wept bitterly.
Children of Imam Ali Naqi (a.s.)
It is reported that Imam had 5 children


The Eleventh Imam
Imam Hassan Al-Askari (AS)
Name - Hasan

Title - Al-Askari

Kunyat - Abu Muhammad

Born - Monday 8th of Rabi-ul-Akhar 232 A.H. , at Medina

Father's Name - Ali ibn Muhammad

Mother's Name - Saleel

Died - At the age of 28 years, at Samarra, on Friday 8th Rabi-ul-Awwal 260 AH. Poisoned by Mo'tamad the Abbaside Caliph

Buried - at Samarra, Baghdad.

Taken from Know Your Islam by Yousuf N. Lalljee

Imam Hassan Al-Askari(as) The Infallible Fifth Holy Imam
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Name: Hassan(as)
Title: Al-Askari
Kunyat: Abu Mohammad
Born: On Monday, 10th of Rabea Al-Akhir, 232 AH, in Medina, Saudi Arabia
Father: The Tenth Imam Ali Al-Hadi(as)
Mother: Al-Sayyidah Jiddah
Date of death: Friday, 8th Rabea Al-Awwal 260AH, at the age of 28 years old.
Cause of Death: Murdered by poisoning by Mu'tamid Ibin Mutawakkil Al-Abbassi
Buried: In Samarra, northen Iraq.
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The Eleventh Holy Imam Hassan AI-Askari(as) the son of the Imam Ali Al-Hadi(as) and AI-Sayyidah Jiddah.
His body was prepared for burial by his son the Twelveth Imam AI-Mehdi Al-Muntathar and was buried next to the grave of his father the Imam Al-Hadi in Samarra northern Iraq where his shrine stands now.

His noble and excellent personality is well-known to Muslims. His physical form was perfectly shaped and spiritually he was just like his great grandfather The Holy Prophet(pbuh).

Ismael narrates the following:

"Once I sitting on the path waiting for the Imam to pass by and when he did, I started complaining of my difficulties and asked him for some financial help." The Imam said,

"You swear by Allah(SWT) falsely, because you have already buried one hundred Dinars as a saving. What I say is not to deny you financial help. Boys, give him all the money with you."

He was well-known to the Christians as having all the human perfections like the Prophet Jesus(as) had.
Imam Hasan Al-Askari (peace be upon him)
Name: Hasan ibn Muhammad
Titles: Al-Askari
Kuniya: Abu Muhammed
Birthdate: Monday, 8th Rabi-ul-Akhar 232 A.H. in Madina
Father: Imam Muhammad ibn 'Ali (peace be upon him), 10th Holy Imam
Mother: Saleel
Died:
(Martyred) Date: Friday, 8th Rabi-ul-Awwal, 260 A.H.
Place: Samarra, Iraq
Age: 28 years
Cause: Poisoned by Mo'tamad, the 'Abbaside caliph
Buried: Samarra, Iraq

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The Holy Imam Hasan al-'Askari spent twenty-two years of his life under the patronage of his father, Imam 'Al; al-Had; (an-Naqi) after whose martyrdom he became his divinely commissioned Imam. Imam Hasan ibn 'Ali al-'Askari, the son of the Tenth Imam, was born in 232/845 and according to some Shl'ite sources was poisoned and killed in 260/872 through the instigation of the 'Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tamid.

The Eleventh Imam gained the Imamate, after the death of his noble father, through Divine Command and through the decree of the previous Imams. During the seven years of his Imamate, due to untold restrictions placed upon him by the caliphate, he lived in hiding and dissimulation (taqiyyah) He did not have any social contact with even the common people among the Shi'ite population. Only the elite of the Shi'ah were able to see him. Even so, he spent most of his time in prison. There was extreme repression at that time because the Shi'ite population had reached a considerable level in both numbers and power. Everyone knew that the Shi'ah believed in the Imamate, and the identity of the Shi'ite Imams was also known.

Therefore, the caliphate kept the Imams under its close supervision more than ever before. It tried through every possible means and through secret plans to remove and destroy them. Also, the caliphate had come to know that the elite among the Shi'ah believed that the Eleventh Imam, according to traditions cited by him as well as his forefathers, would have a son who was the promised Mahdi. The coming of the Mahdi had been foretold in authenticated hadith of the Prophet in both Sunni and Shi'ite sources. For this reason the Eleventh Imam, more than other Imams, was kept under close watch by the caliphate.

The caliph of the time had decided definitely to put an end to the Imamate in Shi'ism through every possible means and to close the door to the Imamate once and for all. Therefore, as soon as the news of the illness of the Eleventh Imam reached al-Mu'tamid, he sent a physician and a few of his trusted agents and judges to the house of the Imam to be with him and observe his condition and the situation within his house at all times. After the death of the Imam, they had the house investigated and all his female slaves examined by the midwife. For two years the secret agents of the caliph searched for the successor of the Imam until they lost all hope.

The Eleventh Imam was buried in his house in Samarra' next to his noble father. Here it should be remembered that during their life time the Imams trained many hundreds of scholars of religion and hadith, and it is these scholars who have transmitted to us information about the Imams. In order not to prolong the matter, the list of their names and works and their biographies have not been included here.

al-Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari, peace be Upon him, said:

Generosity has a limit, which when crossed becomes extravagance; caution has a limit which when crossed becomes cowardice; thriftiness has a limit, which when crossed becomes miserliness; courage has a limit, which when crossed becomes fool-hardiness. Let this moral lesson suffice: refrain from doing anything which you would disapprove of if done by someone else.

The Imam would worship Allah(swt) a lot and his personality was quite majestic.
Imam Muhammed Al-Mahdi (peace be upon him)
Name: Muhammed ibnul Hassan
Titles: Al-Mahdi, Sahibul 'Asr, Al-Hujjat, Al-Qa'im
Kuniya: Abul Qasim
Birthdate: Friday, 15th Shaban 255 A.H. in Samarra
Father: Imam Hasan al-Askari (peace be upon him), 11th Holy Imam
Mother: Nargis Khatoon
Died: Date: Still living but in hiding and will appear before the Day of Judgement to establish justice on earth

Great Mosque of Samarra'

Great Mosque of Samarra'

بيان مكتب المـرجع الشيرازي في سوريه وبيان معهد ال

بيان مكتب المـرجع الشيرازي في سوريه وبيان معهد ال: "بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم
إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعـون
إنّ الجريمة النكراء بتفجير حرم حفيدي رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وأله) الإمام علي الهادي والإمام الحسن العسكري عليهما السلام وتخريب القبة المشرفة والضريح المقدس اليوم إنما هي إستمرار لمحاولات النيل من المكافة العـظيمة للرسول الأكرم (صلى الله عليه وأله) وأهل بيته(عليهم السلام) ع"

Leaving a Permanent Mark on Iraq

AlterNet: War on Iraq: Leaving a Permanent Mark on Iraq: "We're in a new period in the war in Iraq -- one that brings to mind the Nixonian era of 'Vietnamization': A President presiding over an increasingly unpopular war that won't end; an election bearing down; the need to placate a restive American public; and an army under so much strain that it seems to be running off the rails. So it's not surprising that the media is now reporting on administration plans for, or 'speculation' about, or 'signs of,' or 'hints' of 'major draw-downs' or withdrawals of American troops. The figure regularly cited these days is less than 100,000 troops in Iraq by the end of 2006. With about 136,000 American troops there now, that figure would represent just over one-quarter of all in-country U.S. forces, which means, of course, that the term 'major' certainly rests in the eye of the beholder.
In addition, these withdrawals are -- we know this thanks to a Seymour Hersh piece, Up in the Air, in the December 5th New Yorker -- to be accompanied, as in South Vietnam in the Nixon era, by an unleashing of the U.S. Air Force. The added air power is meant to compensate for any lost punch on the ground (and will undoubtedly lead to more 'collateral damage' -- that is, Iraqi deaths).
It is important to note that all promises of drawdowns or withdrawals are invariably linked to the dubious proposition that the Bush administration can 'stand up' an effective Iraqi army and police force (think 'Vietnamization' again), capable of circumscribing the Sunni insurgency and so allowing American troops to pull back to bases outside major urban areas, as well as to Kuwait and points as far west as the United States. Further, all administration or military withdrawal promises prove to be well hedged with caveats and obvious loopholes, phrases l"

Iraq shrine bombing was specialist job: minister - Yahoo! News

Iraq shrine bombing was specialist job: minister - Yahoo! News: "Iraq shrine bombing was specialist job: minister Fri Feb 24, 11:14 AM ET


BAGHDAD (AFP) - The bombing of a revered Shiite shrine which sparked a wave of violence in Iraq was the work of specialists, Construction Minister Jassem Mohammed Jaafar said Friday, adding that the placing of the explosives must have taken at least 12 hours.
ADVERTISEMENT

'According to initial reports, the bombing was technically well conceived and could only have been carried out by specialists,' the minister told Iraqia state television.
Jaafar, who toured the devastated thousand-year-old shrine on Thursday a day after the bombing which brought down its golden dome, said 'holes were dug into the mausoleum's four main pillars and packed with explosives.'
'Then the charges were connected together and linked to another charge placed just under the dome. The wires were then linked to a detonator which was triggered at a distance,' the minister added.
To drill into the pillars would have taken at least four hours per pillar, he also estimated.
Damage to the mausoleum, holding the tombs of the 10th and 11th Shiite Imams, was extensive.
'The dome was completely wrecked and collapsed on the tombs which were covered over by debris. The shrine's foundations were also affected as 40 percent of the power of the blast was directed inwards,' he added.
'It's a historic site, a symbol of Iraqi culture and must be treated as such,' he said, adding that he would call on Iraqi officials and on UNESCO to help rebuilt the golden mosque.
Jaafar said he survived a double bomb attack while returning from Samarra when blasts went off in front of his convoy and behind it."

أجواء حرب أهلية في العراق.. والسنة يعلقون المفاوضا

أجواء حرب أهلية في العراق.. والسنة يعلقون المفاوضا: "أجواء حرب أهلية في العراق.. والسنة يعلقون المفاوضات
دائرة الطب العدلي تشكو امتلاء ثلاجاتها بالجثث * بوش والقذافي يعرضان إعادة بناء المرقد

بغداد: غسان الشمري البصرة: جاسم داخل لندن: «الشرق الاوسط»
خيمت اجواء الخوف من الحرب الاهلية على العراق امس بعد يوم من الاعتداء الذي استهدف احد اهم المزارات الشيعية، وادى الى اندلا�"

A new plot to divide Muslims

Description of Selected News: "A new plot to divide Muslims

Tehran Times Political Desk
TEHRAN – The serious crime of the terrorists who bombed the holy shrines of the tenth and eleventh Shia Imams, Imam Hadi (AS) and Imam Hassan Askari (AS), on Wednesday in Iraq was an insult to the sanctities of all Muslims.
Undoubtedly, it is a new plot which first of all can be considered as the continuation of the disrespectful move of the European newspapers’ that published cartoons of the Prophet of Islam.
Secondly, the offensive act was meant to create division between Iraqi Shias and Sunnis and ignite a civil war, following the failure of the plans of the occupiers of the country.
This is a critical juncture for the vigilant Islamic world. Shias certainly know that such moves are not the work of their Sunni brothers but are directed by the hands of the enemies of Islam.
Meanwhile, the Sunni brothers should also be aware that the same terrorists who carried out the criminal act in Samarra yesterday will probably attack their holy sites in the future.
In a message on Wednesday, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution noted that any emotional act carried out due to ignorance about the real enemy of Islam, including any attack against sites that are respected by Sunnis, is “haram” (forbidden in Islam) and called on Muslims to foil the enemies’ plots through awareness.
Another issue that should also not be ignored is the fact that the occupier U.S. regime, which has turned Iraq’s security to insecurity with its 150,000 troops and military equipment, is the main element responsible for these criminal acts.
Supreme Leader expresses condolences over bombings of Iraqi Shia shrines
In his message, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayato"

العراق: نار طائفية .. وقودها الأضرحة والمساجد

العراق: نار طائفية .. وقودها الأضرحة والمساجد: "قودها الأضرحة والمساجد
تفجير مرقدي الهادي والعسكري في سامراء > السيستاني يدعو إلى التهدئة > طالباني يحذر من الفتنة > اختطاف 11 مصريا وسعوديا من سجن في البصرة وقتل 10 > استنكار دولي وعربي

لندن: معد فياض بغداد: {الشرق الأوسط}
فيما اندلعت «حرب مساجد» في العراق بعد تفجير احد أهم المراقد المقدسة لدى الشيعة في العراق امس، حذر الرئيس ال"

In the aftermath of the shrine attack...

Thursday, February 23, 2006

In the aftermath of the shrine attack...
Today is a day off in Iraq, emergency situation now officially declared with extended curfews 8pm-6am.

Sistani has been calling for restraint and calm but it seems that some Shia factions are not listening to him but instead they are listening to their direct references or acting on their own.

Spokesmen of the Islamic Party and Muslim Scholars claim more than 120 mosques have been blown up, set ablaze or came under small arms and RPG fire including the Um al-Qura mosque which is the HQ of the Association of Muslim Scholars which came under several drive-by shootings.

Radio Sawa reported a short while ago that the central morgue in Baghdad received some 80 bodies of people who were killed with gun shots since Wednesday afternoon.

In our neighborhood the Sadr militias seized the local mosque and broadcast Shia religious mourning songs from the mosques loudspeakers.
In several other cases, worshippers were turned away by "gunmen in black" who surrounded the closed mosques. Other mosques are encircled by razor-wire to stop anyone from approaching them.

The sense in the streets and the statements given by some Shia clerics suggest that retaliation attacks are organized and under control and are focusing on mosques frequented by Salafi and Wahabi groups and not those of ordinary Sunnis.

Looking at the geographic distribution of the attacked mosques, I found they were mostly in areas adjacent to Sadr city forming a line that extends from the New Baghdad district in the southeast to al-Hussayniya in the northeast.

The Association of Muslim Scholars is accusing the Sadrists in particular, actually it's not only the Association that accuses the Sadrists, most people here in Baghdad point out the role of Mehdi army of Sadr in carrying out most of the attacks.
The Association is trying to remind Sadr of the their times of solidarity during the battles in Najaf and Fallujah yet they are condemning his message to his followers in which he called for keeping up and escalating the "protests".

Baghdad looks more alive today but in a very cautious way, traffic in the streets is heavier than it was yesterday but still way below normal.
There's some kind of shopping frenzy because people are trying to be prepared if the worst happens; people are stock-piling small reserves of food, cigarettes, bottled water…etc especially after they heard some of the roads to/from Baghdad are closed and vehicles were turned away.

The Sunni political leaders were invited to a meeting with the UIA suggested by president Talabani but they refused to join the meeting saying the government has to condemn attacks on their mosques as well before they consider ending the boycott.
Talabani responded positively to their demand and gave a short statement to the press half an hour ago and condemned all attacks on worshipping places of all kinds.

The situation is still very tense but the good thing is that the Sunni have not returned the attacks and I hope the Shia have satisfied their vengeance by now because I don't want to even think of what can happen if this situation lasts longer than this.

Ayatallahs of Iraq

Iraq Model on the day of Samarra Shrine Explosion

IRAQ THE MODEL: "Holy Shia shrine bombed in Samarra.
As if we didn't have enough problems already!

The quality of the target and the timing of the attack were chosen in a way that can possibly bring very serious consequences over the country.

The situation in Baghdad is so tense now, it wasn't like this in the early hours of the morning as it took a few hours for the news to spread but on my way back from clinic I saw pickup vehicles with loudspeakers roaming the streets calling on people to shut their stores in the name of the Hawza and join the protests after the noon prayer to condemn the attack on the holy shrine.

Ayatollah Sistani reacted quickly to the escalating anger by issuing a fatwa that forbids his followers from 'Taking any action against Sunni sites' obviously to discourage his followers from carrying out retaliatory attacks on Sunni mosques.
Sistani has also demanded a 7 day mourning and to consider it a week off but the government so far has announced only a 3 day official mourning.
Muqtada cut his tour in Lebanon and is heading back to Baghdad, he called on his followers from Beirut to 'have self-control and refrain from violence'.

Right now there's heavy deployment for the police and other security forces with more frequent checkpoints that are stop-searching cars more often than they usually do.
Sporadic gunfire is heard in different spots in Baghdad but no one knows for sure if the firing meant clashes or mere angry shooting in the air.

From where I'm sitting now I can hear both Sunni and Shia mosques are condemning the attack through their loudspeakers.

I believe there are foreign terror groups behind this attack and I don't think local insurgent would do such a thing, simply because this particular shrine had been in Sunni territory for a t"

Baghdad Burning or Samarra

Baghdad Burning: "Baghdad Burning


... I'll meet you 'round the bend my friend, where hearts can heal and souls can mend...
Thursday, February 23, 2006

Tensions...

Things are not good in Baghdad.

There was an explosion this morning in a mosque in Samarra, a largely Sunni town. While the mosque is sacred to both Sunnis and Shia, it is considered one of the most important Shia visiting places in Iraq. Samarra is considered a sacred city by many Muslims and historians because it was made the capital of the Abassid Empire, after Baghdad, by the Abassid Caliph Al-Mu’tasim.

The name “Samarra” is actually derived from the phrase in Arabic “Sarre men ra’a” which translates to “A joy for all who see”. This is what the city was named by Al-Mu’tasim when he laid the plans for a city that was to compete with the greatest cities of the time- it was to be a joy for all who saw it. It remained the capital of the Abassid Empire for nearly sixty years and even after the capital was Baghdad once again, Samarra flourished under the care of various Caliphs.

The mosque damaged with explosives today is the “Askari Mosque” which is important because it is believed to be the burial place of two of the 12 Shia Imams- Ali Al-Hadi and Hassan Al-Askari (father and son) who lived and died in Samarra. The site of the mosque is believed to be where Ali Al-Hadi and Hassan Al-Askari lived and were buried. Many Shia believe Al-Mahdi ‘al muntadhar’ will also be resurrected or will reappear from this mosque.

I remember visiting the mosque several years ago- before the war. We visited Samarra to have a look at the famous “Malwiya” tower and someone suggested we also visit the Askari mosque. I was reluctant as I wasn’t "

MEMRI: Mecca Stampede

MEMRI: Latest News: "February 23, 2006No.1099

Saudi Clerics Criticized Following Death of Hundreds in Mecca Stampede: 'We Must Stop the Disregard for Human Life Based on Rulings That Adhere [Strictly] to the Written Word'

The ritual of 'the stoning of the Devil,' which is part of the Muslim Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), ended this year with the deaths of 363 pilgrims in a stampede that occurred when 600,000 Muslims gathered prior to the ritual, which by tradition must begin at midday. The disaster sparked harsh criticism of the clerics who had refused to allocate more time for the ritual - which would have reduced the crowding - even though circumstances had changed since the days of the Prophet and the number of pilgrims is now in the millions.
The following are the main responses to the incident:

For Years, Clerics Have Turned a Deaf Ear to Warnings [About Dangerous Crowding]
Hussein Shubakshi, Saudi columnist for the London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, criticized the clerics' rigidity: 'One cannot investigate this tragic event without considering the fatwas that strictly forbade the holding of the stone-throwing ritual before noon. For years, the clerics have displayed rigidity [in religious ruling] and lack of independent thinking, turning a deaf ear to the voices which repeatedly warned [about the dangerous crowding] and which demanded a greater number of lenient fatwas...
'How sad it is that, even on the day of the ritual itself, [clerics] issued an opinion stating that adherence to the 'prescribed hour' is the ruling that must be followed. This position [surely] played some part in causing the crowding and confusion that led to the disaster. We must stop this disregard for human life based on religious rulings that adhere [blindly] to the written word without considering"

Askariya shrine: A focus of pilgrimage

Samarra

City in central Iraq with about 200,000 inhabitants (2002 estimate). Samarra lies on the east bank of the Tigris River.
Samarra is a trade centre of its region. There is some industry and small crafts, as well as local administration.
While Samarra today is a modest regional centre, it was the capital of the Muslim world for 56 years in the 9th century, when the Abbasid caliphate was moved here from Baghdad. At the most, the royal palaces and gardens stretched out for a distance of 30 km along the river.
The most prominent remains of this past is the famous Great Friday Mosque from 852 with the unique spiral minaret. This mosque itself is predominantly in ruins, with only the outer walls standing. The plan of the mosque is 240 times 160 metres, i.e. more than 38,000 m². The walls are about 10 metres high, 2.65 metres thick and supported by 44 towers. An ambitious restoration process began in the late 1990's, aiming at rebuilding the columns and eventually the roof.
The spiral minaret, "Malwiya" in Arabic, is a separate structure from the main congregation hall, 27 metres north of the main hall. It is 52 metres high, and 33 metres in diameter. It is easily entered by a staircase spiralling up on the outside of the round walls. At the summit, the staircase penetrates the structure for the first time, giving access to a flat platform on the top, about 3.5 metres wide. It is believed by many that the minaret was built about 15 years before the main structure.
About 22 km south of Samarra lies a replica of the Great Friday Mosque, the Abu Duluf Mosque. The main hall is almost as big, 215 times 138 metres, but the minaret, once again spiral is only 19 metres high.
Samarra holds the remains of the Caliph's residence. It used to be 700 metres long, along the Tigris river, but today only 3 huge gates towards the river stand. According to the stories, the Caliph sat in these gates to hear complaints and suggestions from his subjects.
Samarra holds the tomb of two imams, the 10th, Ali al-Hadi and the 11th, Hassan al-Askari. They are placed in the same sanctuary, a structure that closely resembles the ones of Karbala and Najaf. In addition to the two imams, there two other tombs of prominent female Muslims.
The second shrine of Samarra is meant to indicate where the 12th imam went into concealment. The shrine is quite different from the other Shi'i shrines of Iraq, as it doesn't have a golden dome, but one covered with blue tiles. Underneath the dome there is cellar, said to be the last place the 12th imam dwelled.
HISTORY

836: Caliph al-Mu'tasim buys the land of a Christian monastery, and builds a military camp here. He gives it the name "surra man ra'a" (English: "he who sees it, rejoices"), a pun based upon the nearby town of Samarra. It is turned into the new residence of the Caliph, after he is pressured to move from Baghdad. This made it the capital of the entire Muslim world, which by now extended from Spain in the west to India in the east.
852: The Great Friday Mosque is inaugurated, being the largest mosque of its time.
892: The Caliph moves back to Baghdad, and Samarra loses most its its importance.
1905: The golden dome of the sanctuary of the two imams is completed.
2006 February 22: The shrine and mosque of the two imams, Ali al-Hadi and Hassan al-Askari, is destroyed in a bomb explosion. Immediate reactions suggest that militant Sunni groups are behind.



Askariya shine: A focus of pilgrimage


Thursday 23 February 2006, 18:48 Makka Time, 15:48 GMT


The shrine's golden dome has been reduced to rubble

The bombing of the Askariya shrine in the Iraqi town of Samarra has sparked a wave of violence that some fear could ignite an all-out civil war in the country.



The shrine is one of the country's most sacred sites for Shia Muslims and has drawn millions of pilgrims from around the world.

The shrine has stood in various forms since 944, when it was built to house the tombs of two ninth century imams, considered successors to the Prophet Muhammad.

Ali al-Hadi, the tenth imam who died in 868 and his son Hassan al-Askari who died in 874, were buried at the end of a turbulent period during which Samarra was built as the new capital of the Abbasid empire, briefly taking over from Baghdad, then the largest city in the world.

But the continued and intense religious importance of the site is connected to the 12th and final imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi.

Known as the "Hidden Imam" Shias believe he went into hiding in 878 under the al-Askariya shrine to prepare for his eventual return among men.

According to Shia tradition, al-Mahdi will reappear one day to punish the sinful and restore justice to humanity.

For many years, a saddled horse and soldiers would be brought to the Samarra shrine every day to be ready for his return.

Rebuilt

The shrine was extensively rebuilt as Samarra's influence withered over the centuries and power was restored to Baghdad.

Modern-day Samarra, a tough, Sunni-dominated town in the middle of the Sunni Triangle north of Baghdad, fills just a fraction of the enormous ancient city that once stood along the banks of the Tigris.

The latest remodelling of the shrine took place in the late 19th century, with the golden dome that was destroyed in Wednesday's bombing added in 1905.

Covered in 72,000 gold pieces and surrounded by walls of light blue tiles, the dome was a dominant feature of the Samarra skyline.

Despite being an active base of Sunni insurgents since the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, the al-Askariya shrine had survived unharmed and largely unthreatened until Wednesday.

It managed to escape any damage when Samarra was retaken in the first major US and Iraqi combined offensive in October 2004, which was aimed at sweeping out the Sunni factions that had taken over the town.

Many other Iraqi archaeological sites have been badly scarred by US efforts to control the insurgency.

No group has taken responsibility for the destruction of the Samarra shrine but the attack was immediately followed by Shia reprisals against Sunni mosques.

What Was and Never Shall Be

In the Destruction of a Golden Dome, the Debris of Certainty
By Philip Kennicott
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, February 23, 2006; Page C01
Again and again, it's distressing how little we know about how Iraq looked before destruction became an everyday occurrence. And so the first glimpse, for many, of the Askariya shrine was not of a magnificent shining dome, but twisted metal and broken walls.
As the first images of a massive destruction at one of Iraq's holiest shrines began coming in yesterday, it was hard not to think first of the building, rather than what it stands for. How old was it? What was the architecture like? Was this another loss, like the Bamiyan Buddhas, needlessly destroyed by the Taliban? Is its destruction equivalent, say, to the bombing of St. Peter's in Rome, or Chartres Cathedral? The mind grasps for an easy equivalence.


(Khalid Mohammed Hameed Rasheed - AP)

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It was reassuring -- in the rather heartless way that people in a secular society look at old religious buildings as mere relics or potential tourist destinations -- to learn from the BBC, which quoted Robert Hillenbrand, a professor of Islamic Art at Edinburgh University, that while the shrine had immense religious and emotional importance to Iraq's Shiite population, it was not of enormous architectural importance. Measuring religious importance seems to land us in the realm of the irrational; measuring architectural or "

Iraq on Yahoo! News Photos

Iraq on Yahoo! News Photos

The World after Attack on Samarra Shiette Shrines

شبكة كربلاء للأنباء
22/02/2006ماين معـّزالاولياء و مُذل الأعداء

المرجعيات العليا في بيت السيد السيستاني و تجتمع به لبحث رد فعل مناسب
نشر قوات أمريكية و عراقية لحماية مراكز المتهم الأول في الجريمة؛ قبر أبي حنيفة و الجيلاني!
القوات الإمريكية تحوط الحرم الشريف في سامراء
سامراء المقدسة -قامت جماعة التكفير و الإرهاب اليوم بإقتحام حرم الإمامين العسكريين بسامراء بعد أن قيدوا شرطة حماية المرقد المكونين من خمسة أفراد فقط ثم زرعوا عبوتين ناسفتين تحت القبة المباركة وقاموا بتفجيرها".

هذا و قد وقع الهجوم عند الساعة 7 صباحا بالتوقيت المحلي للمدينة المقدسة .

هذا وقد تضرر جزء كبير من الضريح الحاوي على جسد الإمامين علي الهادي و الحسن العسكري كما وقد انهار جزء كبير من القبة المغطاة بالذهب جراء تفجير العبوتين بفارق ثلاث دقائق بينهما. هذا و قد لاذ المرتكبون بالفرار.

من جهته ندد المرجع الديني السيد سعيد الحكيم بأداء الحكومة الضعيف التي بدت عاجزة عن توفير الأمن لأقدس المراقد عند الأكثرية الشيعية أتباع آل محمد في العراق.

وتجمع الالاف من اهالي مدينة سامراء في الساحة المحيطة بالمرقد الشريف وحوله بعد وقت قصير من الانفجار للاحتجاج على الاعتداء.

وقد رفعوا عمامة الامام علي الهادي وسيفه ودرعه التي كانت محفوظة في احد سراديب المرقد الشريف وهم يهتفون "بالروح بالدم نفديك يا امام".

من جهته قال المستشار الامن القومي الدكتور الربيعي ان عشرة ممن قاموا بهذا العمل الارهابي القي القبض عليهم في محاولة منه الى تسكين الوضع و صب الماء على نار غضب أتباع آل محمد .

هذا وقد خرج الاف العراقيين في شتى مدن العراق منها كربلاء و النجف و البصرة والديوانية و العمارة تنديدا بالعملية النكراء، كما و قد عمت فورة الغضب العارمة لدى أتباع آل محمد في شتى بقاع الأرض ففي ايران يتم تنظيم مسيرة مليونية إحتجاجا على العمل التكفيري الجبان النابع من العقيدة الإرهابية كما و يتم تنظيم مسيرات في كل من البحرين و باكستان و الهند و بريطانيا .

كما و قطع الصدر زيارته المرتقبة الى لبنان إثر الحادث المؤلم الذي أوجع قلوب جميع محبي العترة النبوية و أرق مضاجعهم.

تجدر الإشارة الى أن المرجعية في العراق أعلنت الحداد لمدة اسبوع كامل تعبيرا عن حزنها العميق و مواساة لصاحب العزاء الإمام الحجة المهدي ابن الإمام الحسن العسكري و حفيد الإمام الهادي و المالك الشرعي للبيت الذي دفن فيه أبوه و جده .

كما واصدر مكتب سماحة المرجع الديني آية الله العظمى السيد محمد تقي المدرسي (دام ظله الوارف) بيان استنكار للجريمة البشعة التي طالت مرقد الإمامين العسكريين في مدينة سامراء المقدسة جاء فيه:

ان الاساءة الى مراقد آل الرسول هي اساءة الى الرسول ، واننا اذ ندين هذه العملية نؤكد على ما يلي:

1ـ على كل المسلمين في العراق الدفاع عن المقدسات بالمسيرات الحاشدة وبالتنديد المستمر.
2ـ على وزارتي الداخلية والدفاع تحمل مسؤوليتهما كاملة في الدفاع عن المقدسات في العراق، وحمايتها بكل ما أتوا من قوة.
3ـ على المسلمين الدفاع عن اهل البيت باعتباره دفاعا عن الرسول الاكرم صلى الله عليه وآله.. وان التقصير في هذا الشأن لا يغتفر عند الله سبحانه.
4ـ على علماء السنة في العراق الوقوف امام الفتنة الطائفية التي يشعلها بعض الجهلاء، وان يكون تنديدهم لمثل هذه الاعمال بمستوى هذه الجرائم المرتكبة.

من جهته بعث سماحة آية الله السيد هادي المدرسي برقية الى شيخ الازهر و سائر علماء المسلمين طالب الدفاع عن شرف رسول الله و اهل بيته و قائلا : "الاعتداء الآثم على قباب أئمة اهل بيت النبي في سامراء، هو اعتداء صارخ على كرامة رسول الله و كرامة اهل بيته العظام ."

"و اذا كانت الصور المسيئة لرسول الله تستدعي الادانة ، دفاعا عن شرف النبي و قدسيته ، فان هذا الاعتداء الذي تطاول ضرائح ابناء رسول الله لحمه و دمه فيه اسائة أعظم للرسول الاكرم ويستدعي ادانة اكبر و دفاعا أقوى; فشرف اهل البيت هو من شرف جدهم المصطفى و شرف جدهم شرفهم ايضا."


حري بالذكر أن الإمام الهادي قتل كذلك ولده الإمام العسكري و لا يزال النواصب الذين يعادون أئمة أهل البيت و شيعتهم يصبون جام حقدهم على كل ما يمت الى أهل البيت بصلة.

كما و طالب علماء الشيعة، السنة في العالم بالخروج في مسيرات إستنكارا للإساءة التي لحق بذرية رسول الله، كما استنكرت قضية الرسوم، فالإساءة هنا مباشرة ضد شخص رسول الله و ذريته و هو الذي أوصى بأهل بيته خيرا.

The Baluchistan Issue - PakTribune

The Baluchistan Issue - PakTribune: "With the fast progress in the mega development projects in Baluchistan like recently completed Mekran Coastal Highway and the under construction Mirani Dam, Gwadar Deep Sea Port and Kacchi Canal along with the multi million dollar Saindak, which could transform the fate of the poverty stricken Baluchis soon, the Baluchistan is once again witnessing unrest due to the attacks on the government installations and counter operation by the government against the saboteurs. Who is (are) behind it all and whose purpose do such unrest and law and order situation serve? Who stands to gain and who stand to lose, should not be difficult to guess. Development in the region will usher in an era of progress, ameliorating the lot of the poverty stricken Bluchis. Once the down trodden Baluchis are freed from economic shackles and taste the fruits of development, their children graduate from schools and colleges opening vistas of future employment for them, roads are built in the difficult terrains connecting the interior and the hinterland with the main markets and big cities, their sick and ill children, women and the old get proper medical aid and care from the hospitals, and so on so forth, they will be a changed people and it shall not be possible for the Sardars to keep them subjugated any longer with the ease that they have been doing so for the centuries. Acts of sabotage and saboteur are, therefore, the only way of keeping the progress away from the Baluchis, which serves the purpose of the Sardars only too well.
When mortars and rockets fly around, the government is left with not much option but to use force to establish its writ in the area. Use of power, however, legit it may be is bound to draw criticism from most and particularly from the vested interests. This is what is happening in Baluchistan and the ongoing op"

Embassies ablaze as Muslim anger spreads | Autonomy & Solidarity

Embassies ablaze as Muslim anger spreads | Autonomy & Solidarity: "Embassies ablaze as Muslim anger spreads
Submitted by FDL on February 4, 2006 - 9:24pm. A&S News Wire | Culture
Jamie Doward, Mark Townsend, Bartle Bull in Damascus and Gaby Hinsliff Sunday February 5, 2006. The Observer

The increasingly bitter row over the publication of a series of controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad reached a new intensity last night as protesters set fire to the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Syria.

With police signalling that they will launch an investigation into the behaviour of protesters in London who called for those insulting Islam to 'be beheaded', protesters in the Syrian capital, Damascus, defied tear gas and water cannon to enter the Danish embassy and replace that country's flag with another which read: 'No God but Allah, Mohammad is His Prophet.'

Last night the Danish embassy, which was empty when attacked, was a charred hulk. The Norwegian embassy was still burning. As well as the dramatic scenes in Damascus - not known for its Islamic militancy - rising tensions among Muslims over the publication of 'blasphemous' cartoons in Denmark threatened to boil over across the globe.

· In London, 700 Muslims held a second day of angry protests outside the Danish embassy, many holding placards glorifying the events of 7 July and 9/11.

· Metropolitan police sources told The Observer that arrests could follow this week after investigations of the behaviour on Friday of some protesters who demanded the 'massacre' of 'those who insult Islam'. They may have breached laws against inciting hatred or terrorism.

· Groups representing British Muslims appealed for calm, saying the demonstrations and violence had gone too far"

Danish Cartoons (not pastries) | Autonomy & Solidarity

Danish Cartoons (not pastries) | Autonomy & Solidarity