IRAQ: THOUSANDS GATHER FOR PRAYERS IN BAGHDAD NEIGHBOURHOOD WHERE A MAN WAS KILLED EARLIER IN THE WEEK AFTER CLASHES WITH US FORCES

Record ID: 646585

  • Title: IRAQ: THOUSANDS GATHER FOR PRAYERS IN BAGHDAD NEIGHBOURHOOD WHERE A MAN WAS KILLED EARLIER IN THE WEEK AFTER CLASHES WITH US FORCES
  • Date: 15th August 2003
  • Summary: (W5) AL-SADR CITY, NORTHERN BAGHDAD, IRAQ (AUGUST 15, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. GV OF WORSHIPPERS PERFORMING FRIDAY PRAYERS AROUND COMMUNICATIONS TOWER TOPPED WITH A RELIGIOUS BANNER 0.05 2. LV MAN STANDING ON TOP OF A TOWER NEXT TO THE BANNER 0.10 3. LV/SV CROWD/PEOPLE CHANTING "YES, YES FOR AL-MAHDI (INFALLIBLE SHI'ITE IMAM, SHI'ITES BELIEVE IN HIS RESURRECTION); WIDE OF WORSHIPPERS (3 SHOTS) 0.26 4. SV (Arabic) SHEIKH ABDUL-HADI AL-DARAJI, TOP SHI'ITE CLERIC IN AL-SADR CITY SAYING "They (U.S troops) were given a short truce to implement our demands without any procrastination, if such demands are not met, we publicly declare that we are not responsible for what will happen to them (U.S. forces) if they enter the city (al-Sadr City)." 1.04 5. SV/PAN PEOPLE CHANTING: "PRAY ON PROPHET MOHAMMED AND HIS FOLLOWERS"; PEOPLE CHANTING "NO, NO AMERICA" (2 SHOTS) 1.20 6. SV/LV MEN PRAYING (3 SHOTS) 1.43 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 30th August 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVA1235OJ3CFQ2VJA4X855SNRPAJ
  • Story Text: Thousands gather for prayers in Baghdad neighbourhood where a man was killed earlier in the week after clashes with US forces


    Chanting "No to America", more than 5,000
    worshippers held prayers in the open air at a street in
    northern Baghdad's al-Sadr City on Friday (August 15, 2003),
    where U.S. forces shot dead one Iraqi and wounded four
    during a protest earlier in the week.

    Senior Shi'ite cleric Sheikh Abdul Hadi al-Daraji said
    U.S. troops must leave al-Sadr City and apologise more
    profusely for the incident, as well as pay compensation to
    the victims of the ensuing violence and their families.

    "They (U.S troops) were given a short truce to implement
    our demands without any procrastination, if such demands
    are not met, we publicly declare that we are not
    responsible for what will happen to them (U.S. forces) if
    they enter the city (al-Sadr City)," he said.

    Thousands performed Friday prayers in and outside Ahl
    al-Beit Mosque near the the religious banner that topped
    the communications tower in al-Sadr City.

    Thousands of Iraqis took to the streets of the
    impoverished district on Wednesday (August 13) after a U.S.

    helicopter flew near the banner of a religious school,
    hanging from the communications tower. Locals said the
    helicopter tore down the banner, while the U.S. Army said
    it might have been blown off accidentally. U.S. soldiers
    fired into the crowd during the protest and one Iraqi was
    killed and four others were wounded.

    Al-Sadr city is a hub of at least two million Shi'ite
    Iraqis who came from southern provinces, mostly loyal to
    Sayed Muqtada al-Sadr, son of late Sayed Mohammed Sadeq
    al-Sadr.

    Most Shi'ites in Iraq say they were oppressed by
    Saddam, a Sunni. But some powerful Shi'ite clerics have
    spoken out against the occupation and anger is also brewing
    in mainly Shi'ite southern Iraq over chronic fuel and
    electricity shortages.


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