Ramadan is the time for Muslims to work at renewing their commitment to Allah. Since the Qur’an teaches warfare against those considered to be unbelievers, that wafare is also an act of piety. Therefore Ramadan is also usually marked by an uptick in jihad violence. “Bombs against Iraq Sunni mosques kill nine: officials,” from AFP, July 23 (thanks to Kenneth):
KIRKUK, Iraq (AFP) — Bombs targeting worshippers gathered for evening prayers at three Sunni mosques in Iraq killed nine people on Tuesday, officials said.
A bomb exploded in the Omar bin Abdulaziz Mosqe [sic] in the northern city of Kiruk [sic], while another blast struck near Al-Salihin Mosque close by, killing a total of seven people and wounding 41.
And a car bomb exploded near Al-Imam Ali Mosque in Kut, southeast of Baghdad, killing two people and wounding nine.
Special extended evening prayers are held during the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which began two weeks ago.
Both Sunni and Shiite places of worship have been attacked in recent months, raising fears of a return to the all-out sectarian conflict that killed tens of thousands of people in past years.
With the latest attacks, more than 630 people have been killed in violence so far this month, making July the deadliest month in a year marked by spiralling violence.