What a death threat looks like...

[katinmn]

http://electroniciraq.net/news/2548.shtml
Zeyad, Healing Iraq, 18 October 2006

Threat letters and fliers are a common everyday experience in Iraq these days. Below are several samples from different areas of the country, including one that was posted on the door of the health center I used to work at.

This one was distributed at Abu Al-Khasib, a largely Sunni town southeast of Basrah with a sizeable Salafi community, most of which have roots in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Many Sunnis were forced to leave the area, especially following the Samarra shrine bombing last February. The threat was issued by a group that calls itself the Revenge Squads.

Warning ... Warning ... Warning

All members of the Sunni community, Wahhabis and Takfiris, are required to leave the Abu Al-Khasib province immediately as a result of the killings and deportation suffered by the followers of the Prophet’s household. We do not exclude anyone. You have destroyed holy sites and you have slaughtered the Shia based on their identity. We were patient but not any more. We will not be silent from now on. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, and the first transgressor is more unjust. We will take revenge for the Shia and the followers of the Prophet’s household. We will not stay silent in the face of injustice. Never. We will not tolerate humiliation. You do not have much time to leave. He who has warned is henceforth excused.

This one was sent to members of the Palestinian community in Baghdad. The majority of Palestinians in Baghdad have lived there since 1948. They are just as Iraqi as everyone else in the country. The largest group of Palestinians live in eastern Baghdad, just southeast of Sadr City, and have continuously suffered attacks and arrests over the last two years. Some have attempted to seek refuge in Jordan but claimed they were denied entry. There is a camp for them at the Iraqi-Jordanian border.

In the name of Allah, the most merciful...

Warning - Warning - Warning

To the Palestinian traitors who allied themselves with Wahhabis, Takfiris, Nawasib and Ba’athist Saddamists, especially those who inhabit the Dar Al-Shu’oun area: We warn you that we will eliminate you all if you do not leave this area entirely within 10 days.

He who has warned is henceforth excused.

Saraya Yawm Al-Hisab

MORE EXAMPLES: http://electroniciraq.net/news/2548.shtml

[Turbineguy]

1. It just shows

how desperate they are. They are in their last throes!:sarcasm:

[whistle]

2. Hold on here, what has been the basis for the conflicts between

...Sunnis and Shiites sects of Islam? Well, the following is a general overview, although it may be biased coming from a Christian perspective:

<snip>
Sunni and Shiite branches of Islam
by Rit Nosotro
Comparative Essay

Compare/contrast the Sunni and Shiite branches of Islam in their theology and culture, and review its effect on History.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Islam is the second largest religion in the world, with over one billion followers, and growing at a rate of about 20% per year.1 The religion has two major branches: the Sunnis, with 940 million believers, and Shiites, with 120 million. These two sects also each have their own branches and divisions, including the well-known Wahhabi sect of the Sunnis. The major groups have some very important distinctions that continue to affect the history of the world.

The split between the Muslims was formed over the years when attempting to select caliphs. The third caliph was murdered after twelve years in power. Mohammed’s son-in-law, Ali, became the next caliph, although with much opposition, including that of one of Mohammed’s wives, and he was also murdered five years later. Next, Muawiya came to power in 661, beginning the dynasty known as the Umayyad Caliphate. By now the Shiites had fostered the belief that caliphs should only be from the line of Mohammed, while it simply did not matter to the Sunnis. Around 680 AD, the division officially occurred. Although the two parties agree on the basic tenets, they each eventually developed their own way of thinking and living.

One of the things they agree on is that Allah is one. God is the only god. Both also believe that Mohammed was the last prophet. They agree that one day Allah will resurrect all humans and question (not judge) their beliefs and actions. They believe that all of the “famous” sins such as murder, adultery, stealing, etc. are sins. Finally, they both agree on the five pillars of Islam. Otherwise they wouldn’t be Muslims, would they? But there are quite a few more disagreements with the two branches than agreements.

According to the Sunnis, Allah has a body, although it is not exactly human. They interpret parts of the Quran literally where it talks about his leg, face, and hand. The Shiites say Allah does not have a body. Shiites say that Allah will never be seen, and the Sunnis believe Allah can be seen, on earth and in the afterlife. Another theological difference is the Shiites believe Allah commands something because it is a good thing (and does not command something because it is bad). Sunnis think that because Allah orders it, it makes it good. So, according to the Sunnis, if Allah orders you to murder someone it is not a sin. Shiites believe that Allah does not do anything that does not have a purpose, while their counterparts say Allah does some things aimlessly. Another important item is that the Shiites say Allah knows what we will do but does not make us do it. Sunnis say he creates all our acts. Shiites also believe that all prophets are sinless. Sunnis are split: Are they sinless their whole life or just since the beginning of their ministry? Do all sins count, or only infidelity? Does he have to sin intentionally or can it be unintentionally? These are major theological differences, but there are also differences in culture.

One of the things Shiites do differently from Sunnis is that during prayer they put their head on a piece of hard clay instead of the mat. Also, they combine prayers so sometimes they only pray three times a day as opposed to five. Shiites are also permitted “fixed-term temporary marriages”, which is banned by the Sunnis even though it was allowed during Mohammed’s age.

Logic dictates that God has and had a divine plan that included the Muslim division in 680 A.D. If the Muslims had all been united under one cause, would they not have been more powerful? Would they not have done more and more damage to the Jews and Christians? Would the Jews have even been capable of setting up their own nation in 1948 in fulfillment of Biblical prophecy? In these ways we can see God’s perfect will through history. And He is not finished. The differences between Sunnis and Shiites still affect the world today.

Obviously, the most profound impact is now felt in the Middle East. In Iraq, the Shiite population is about fifty-five percent. Sunni population is forty percent, and non-Muslims make up five percent. The 2005 elections revealed that no one group could run the country without the other. In Iran, almost any Muslim (actually ninety-three percent) is a Shiite.2 Despite being the minority, Sunnis dominated Iraqi politics while Hussein was in power which is what partly led to the decade long war between the two countries begining in the eighties. Millions were killed on both sides. Although the war has ended, Sunnis and Shiites are still fighting for power and pride today.

Christian scripture teaches that it is in God's nation of Israel where He will establish His kingdom. Because this region is dominated by Islam, the differences between the two branches will certainly continue to have an impact in the re-gathering of Israel, “that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth--in Him.”3

http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/comp/cw11sunnishiitesplit.htm

[katinmn]

3. and another: How Can Sunnis and Shiites Tell Each Other Apart?

Some people just have a Sunni name.
By Daniel Engber

http://www.slate.com/id/2137109/
Sectarian violence in Iraq last week resulted in 379 deaths and 458 wounded, the Iraqi government announced on Tuesday. A weekend curfew had been put in place to de-escalate the strife between Sunnis and Shiites that boiled over after the bombing of an important Shiite shrine. Amid all this conflict, how can Shiites and Sunnis tell each other apart?

It's not easy. For the most part, you can't tell a Shiite or a Sunni by how they look, talk, or dress. There are Shiite and Sunni regions and neighborhoods in Iraq, and members of small communities may know the religious affiliations of their neighbors. You might also get some idea of which sect an Iraqi belongs to from his family name. Chalabi, for example, is a well-known Shiite name, and Pachachi tends to be Sunni. But surnames aren't reliable either, given the number of intermarriages that occurred under Baath party rule.

First names could give a clue, given the history of the sectarian split. The two groups diverged after the death of Mohammed in the seventh century, when one side chose Abu Bakr, Mohammed's companion and adviser, to succeed him, and the other thought it should be Mohammed's son-in-law, Ali. Shiites view Ali and his two sons, Hassan and Hussein, as the first of the 12 imams, or holy leaders of Islam. Sunnis don't accept the imams.