"There's still a tendency to see these things in Sunni-Shia terms. But the Middle East is going to have to overcome that." - Condoleezza Rice, January 2007.
Still waiting? Hope you brought a book. "Bomb Kills at Least 53 Pilgrims in South Iraq," by Nabil al-Jurani for the Associated Press, January 14:
A bomb killed at least 53 Shiite pilgrims near the southern port city of Basra on Saturday, an Iraqi official said. It was the latest in a series of attacks during Shiite religious commemorations that have killed scores of people and threaten to further increase sectarian tensions just weeks after the U.S. withdrawal.
Why are they tense? Do they need a spa day?
The attack happened on the last of the 40 days of Arbaeen, when hundreds of thousands of Shiite pilgrims from Iraq and abroad visit the Iraqi city of Karbala, as well as other holy sites.
Saturday's blast occurred near the town of Zubair as pilgrims marched toward the Shiite Imam Ali shrine on the outskirts of the town, said Ayad al-Emarah, a spokesman for the governor of Basra province. The shrine is an enclave within an enclave -- a Shiite site on the edge of a mostly Sunni town in an otherwise mostly Shiite province.
There were conflicting reports on the source of the blast.
Al-Emarah said the explosion was caused either by a suicide attacker or a roadside bomb. But an Iraqi military intelligence officer who is investigating the attack said it was a roadside bomb, noting that the road from Basra to Zubair being used by pilgrims had been closed to traffic. He spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to brief the media....
Who gives a toss as long as the bastards are killing each other and leaving the Jews and Christians alone? Not me. Sorry for sounding cynical but it'll be less to worry about later.
Nods me friend. Let Allah sort 'em out....
Why are they tense?
Because Sunnis believe that Muhammad is in Paradise and Shia muslims believe that his private parts are in hell while he is in Paradise! Euh...doing what?
http://crossmuslims.blogspot.com/2011/07/private-parts-of-muhammad.html
Why are they tense?
Another reason:
Sunnis believe that Aisha is in Heaven while Shia muslims firmly believe that she is in Hell. Why? Because she spent a night with a handsome young soldier as opposed to an old, fat and sexually impotent "prophet".
http://crossmuslims.blogspot.com/2011/10/aisha-and-safwan.html
Agree. It's the "Hugh Doctrine", in full display before the world.
Let us all sit back with a bag of popcorn and case of beer and watch it play out.
P.S. It's going to be a very looooong movie with no intermission.
"Why are they tense? Do they need a spa day?"
Marisol, you may be on to something. Massages, facials and waxing for all jihadis!
Article:
"A bomb killed at least 53 Shiite pilgrims..."
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"...at least 53..."? What the hell does that mean? They are either confirmed dead, missing or injured or living without injury. Dead is dead.
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The Medieval Reckoning begins in Iraq just like I said it would, last week.
Only 53? Not enough to shock us out of our, "Middle-Eastern-Ennui"?
Give it a month or two.
53 will be 530.