Anybody else think the Shiite conducted this execution in a deliberately insulting manner?

[saracat]

The witnesses "danced around the body" and they executed him at the beginning of a Shiite holy day? And then they claimed to have treated him "with all respect". I cannot respect any people who take such pleasure in violence and revenge. The comments made by the Iraqis in Dearborn Michigan were disgusting. Sadamn may have been a violent dictator, but it seems those who hated him were like natured.This is just not civilized and indicates the new government has no respect for its own laws or religious traditions. This is repulsive.What a wonderful government Bushco created.

[The Magistrate]

1. Revenge Does Not Bother Me Much, Ma'am

Neither does hate, for that matter, particularly when it is come by honestly....

[saracat]

7. But Justice is preferable to revenge. And whether Justice was served will now always be questionable

The Kurds certainly never got their day in court and it may be that the Iraqis framed a guilty man. Many doubt the trial was just.I believe in Justice for everyone ,no matter how horrible the defendant.

[The Magistrate]

10. That Is True Enough, Ma'am

But whatever the merits of the trial, the sentence was a just one.

[Kagemusha]

2. I think al-Sadr specifically asked that it be done before the holy day.

Not on it...

But yeah, there's a lot of, hooray, hooray, the wicked witch is dead, out of this... and I refuse to speak well of this Iraqi government. In fact, I think what's most offensive is, they tried to be as respectful as they were capable of, and THIS is the best they could come up with. It's just in their nature not to get any more respectful than this to one such as Saddam.

[Erika]

3. I have not been unhappy to hear some were dead

But dancing is a bit much.

[HuffleClaw]

4. the SHIITES????

this was engineered by BUSH.

[saracat]

6. But the Shites are cooperating with Bush to humiliate the Sunnis!

Great contempt was shown for their traditions and religion.This is what feuls the civil war!

[Igel]

5. They could have been far more insulting.

It was decorous, as ritual humiliation of a tribe through symbolic abuse of a corpse goes. When the Sunnis attempted to humiliate the US, they burned the bodies and dragged them through the streets, or they inflicted that most humiliating of executions, beheading, upon them; of course, we didn't properly feel our humiliation, we speak different languages in that regard.

You want deliberately insulting, ponder *those* options. Hanging merely inflicts death, and I'm unaware of any further connotation. The dancing, well ... bad, but it could have been so much worse that can't really be called dreadfully disrespectful.

It's certainly not what we would consider civilized. I think 1500 years ago we would have understood it just fine.

[fujiyama]

8. I don't think it's right

to paint all Shiites with such a broad brush.

There is justifiable anger and resentment against Saddam for the way he treated them over the years. And they have likely faced a brunt of the casualties in the war as well. Sunni insurgents (likely funded by the Saudis) are incensed over losing power and have killed many. Though Shiite mobs have retaliated like wise. The US had no clue what they were getting into - thought the Shiites were OK since they opposed Saddam. Turns out they want their own theocracy installed in place.

Though I think those in Dearborn of fighting age that support the war, should go fight. Either with the marines or alongside those risking their lives waiting in lines to work as police officers.

Either way, this whole situation seems quite barbaric - and while I have no problems seeing Saddam hanged, I think a show trial is worse than none at all. He would have been better off thrown to a mob. Atleast I wouldn't be fed bullshit propaganda of "justice being served".

[lynne]

9. Their culture is different -

- and their concept of respect is different than ours. What we may find insulting may be perfectly acceptable for their culture and vice versa. The actions and remarks of the Arab Americans in Michigan is a most obvious example of cultural differences. However, I see no reason to harshly judge any culture only because it is different than ours.