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Shiites Mark Rituals Once Banned in Iraq

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Khephra Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Feb-29-04 09:57 PM
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Shiites Mark Rituals Once Banned in Iraq
KARBALA, Iraq -- Hundreds of thousands of Shiite Muslims walked, rode bikes and drove cars to this holy city on Sunday for religious rituals once banned by Saddam Hussein.

Men, women and children beat their chests and chanted prayers in unison in a ceremony marking Ashoura, the most important in the Shiite Muslim calendar. The 10-day festival commemorates the death of Shiite saint Imam Hussein, a grandson of the prophet Muhammad.

Imam Hussein, killed in a power struggle in 680, is buried in a gold-domed shrine in Karbala. His death was part of a dispute over leadership of the faith. It was also a key event in Islam's split into the Sunni and Shiite branches.

This is the first time in more than three decades that Iraq's Shiites have been free to publicly celebrate the holiday.

more.............

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-iraq-ashoura,0,1927506.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines
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