Sunnis and Sadr's Shiites make peace

[cal04]

THE movement of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, alleged to have played a role in the anti-Sunni violence over the last few days, publicly made peace with political and religious Sunni leaders overnight.

Four sheikhs from the Sadr movement made a "pact of honour" with the conservative Sunni Muslim Scholars Association, and called for an end to attacks on places of worship, the shedding of blood and condemning any act leading to sedition. The agreement was made in the particularly symbolic setting of Baghdad's premier Sunni mosque Abu Hanifa where the Shiite sheikhs prayed under the guidance of Sunni imam Abdel Salam al-Qubaissi.

The meeting was broadcast on television and the religious leaders all "condemned the blowing up of the Shiite mausoleum of Samarra as much as the acts of sabotage against the houses of God as well as the assassinations and terrorisation of Muslims". The statement made reference to the key concerns of both communities with the violent aftermath to the attack on the Samarra mausoleum which saw more than 119 people die.


The sheikhs condemned "those who excommunicate Muslims" a reference to the "takfireen" or Islamist extremists like Abu Musab al-Zarqawi who justify killing fellow Muslims by declaring them non-Muslims. "It is not permitted to spill the Iraqi blood and to touch the houses of God," said the statement, adding that any mosques taken over by another community should be returned. The meeting also announced the formation of a commission to "determine the reasons for the crisis with a view to solving it", while also calling for a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops.

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http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,18278442%255E1702,00.html

[Kagemusha]

1. What's his timetable for taken over by another community?

The mosque that got blown up was, in spite of being a very important Shiite shrine, under the control of a Sunni mosque endowment committee due to being in the middle of Samarra, which is very much a Sunni majority city, so the story goes. (It was becoming so well before Saddam took over but the process continued extensivelyunder him.)

So I find the wording rather curious...

[uppityperson]

2. There reaches a point when words don't work.

I am glad they publically say this is bad, but I wonder if that point has been reached.

[IndianaGreen]

3. These are only competing Shia militias

the Sunis are nowhere to be found.

[mom cat]

4. I hope that they are able to prevail against the black opps that are

working to destabilize the country.

[Teaser]

5. Sadr isn't trying to stabilize anything

He is playing for the camera. He is very good at it.