Shiites bring rigid piety to Iraq's south (Talibanization of Basra)

[Barrett808]

Shiites bring rigid piety to Iraq's south
By Steven Vincent | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor

BASRA, IRAQ – In Basra these days, it's not uncommon to see armed men from Shiite religious groups standing at the gates of Basra University, scrutinizing female students to make sure their dresses are the right length and their makeup properly modest.
Any woman violating their standards of Muslim dignity, relates Henan, a psychology student, is ordered home. "These religious militiamen tell us how to dress, and prevent us from listening to music in public or interacting with male students," she says. "It makes me burn inside."

Henan is not the only Basran furious at the extremist Shiite Muslims who now dominate this southern Iraqi port city bordering Iran. Especially among the middle and intellectual classes, an increasing drumbeat of resentment is rising about what many see as a distortion of Basra's traditionally easygoing, tolerant attitudes toward life.

"No alcohol, no music CDs, woman forced to wear hijab, people murdered in the streets - this is not the city I remember," says Samir, an editor of one of Basra's largest newspapers. (His name, and others, have been changed for security reasons.) "In the past, Basra revolted against attempts to make it too Islamic."

One woman living in Basra says, "Before, we had Saddam; now we have religious parties and militias. To them, a woman's smile is a crime."

(more)

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0713/p01s01-wome.html?s=eee

[carnie_sf]

1. So glad

that freedom is on the march.

[NNN0LHI]

2. I sure am glad Saddam is gone

The WMDs you say? Over there, right in Tikrit.

Don

[Teaser]

3. Not technically talibanization.

Talibanization would be a Sunni enterprise. Iranification might be a better term.

[Barrett808]

6. Yeah, I was blatantly ripping off Juan Cole

http://www.juancole.com/2005/07/talk-of-foreign-troop-withdrawals-as.html

[wookie294]

4. This important story is mostly ignored by MSM

I think the situation in southern Iraq is fascinating, with al-Sadr's fascist brigades in total control. Halliburton announced earlier this year that they ended their oil contract in southern Iraq because of the violence. There is DEFINITELY going to be a wider civil war whether America stays or leaves. We need to withdraw immediately.

[VegasWolf]

5. Can Mr. Bush do ANYTHING well? nt

[lumpy]

7. This will only worsen with

the Shiites in power. The Washington war mongers didn't give a damn that by giving the Shiites an edge on the more secular Baathist(Saddams) party that it would be a return to a regressive leadership. So the Bushites have stirred up the hornets nest leaving a trail of more misery for the Iraqi people; civil war, no civil rights and religious repression. To successfully bring freedon/democracy to Iraq it would take years of US occupation/troop/money, blood and tears. In their quest for power and oil the Bushites have given us and the Iraqis years of turmoil.

[LynnTheDem]

8. "this is not the city I remember"

Thanks to BUSH and the RIGHTWINGNUTTERY for making their lives worse than ever.

[Barrett808]

9. The same could be said about our country. n/t