Terrorizing those who are praying…

[Robbien]

Dahr Jamail's Iraq Dispatches

Abu Talat calls me frantic. The deafening roar of hundreds of people in a confined area yelling, “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greatest) reverberate behind his panicked voice.

“I am being held at gunpoint by American soldiers inside Abu Hanifa mosque Dahr,” he yells, “Everyone is praying to God because the Americans are raiding our mosque during Friday prayer!”

He makes short calls, updating me on the atrocity. After a few sentences of information he hangs up because he is trapped inside the mosque and trying to let me know what is happening. Being Friday, the day of prayer and holiday, this was supposed to be an off day for us.

I just finish typing what he told me before he calls back.

“They have shot and killed at least 4 of the people while they were praying, and at least 20 are wounded now! I cannot believe this! I can’t let them see me calling you. I am on my stomach now and they have our guns on everyone, there are at least 1,500 people inside the mosque and it is sealed. We are on our bellies and in a very bad situation.”

Several Humvees and Iraqi National Guard (ING) vehicles showed up and 50 soldiers and well over 50 ING sealed and entered the mosque with the goal of detaining the Imam, Shaikh Muayid al-Adhami.

Abu Talat calls back, “We were here praying and now there are over 50 here with their guns on us,” he said. ”They are holding our heads to the ground, and everyone is in chaos. This is the worst situation possible. They cannot see me talking to you. They are roughing up a blind man now.”

The soldiers eventually released women and children along with men who were related to them. Abu Talat was only released because a boy approached him and told him to pretend to be his father.

Shortly thereafter he phones me from his home in tears.

Much more:
http://dahrjamailiraq.com/weblog/archives/dispatches/000126.php#more

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Wonder how many Christian Americans

would think it ok for soldiers to invade a church during the recitation of the Lord's Prayer?

[Martin Eden]

2. The rationale for this violence

was that violence was being incited in that Mosque. The imam had exhorted the worshippers to resist the American occupation like the fighters in Fallujah.

Let me repeat:
American and Iraqi interim government military forces stormed a place of worship, killing and and wounding innocent civilians at Friday prayers, in order to stop violence.

Sounds like we really taught 'em a lesson about violence!

Think they'll stop resisting the occupation?