Remember a few years ago when the Taliban used field artillery to blast away several statues of the Buddha? Remember the worldwide, righteous, and fully justified outrage?
Why would we expect a different outcome when America is the one desecrating a religious shrine?
Nevertheless, after spending a couple of days shooting up the cemetery and driving tanks over graves, the U.S. is now poised to blast away at a holy shrine in Iraq. And, what is more, we've got the audacity to blame it on the Iraqis. We've declared that it's Muqtada Sadr's fault for making the mosque a legitimate military target by hiding out there. (As an aside: If a Christian fugitive dashes into the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is that "seeking sanctuary," or does it make the church a "legitimate target?" Let's hope nobody asks that question any time soon.)
The Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf has been a beacon for the Muslim faithful for more than a thousand years. And you have to admit that this place does seem to be pretty important. It was built in the 8th century on the site where Imam Ali, cousin and son-in-law of the prophet Muhammad (and in the eyes of the faithful, the legitimate successor to Muhammad) is buried. Today the the mosque is a repository of riches: precious gifts from sultans and potentates are housed there, as well as offering boxes are stuffed with currency from all over the world. And if that's not enough, the Imam Ali shrine is the heart of Najaf and attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and tourists each year.
Right next to the mosque is a cemetery known as the Valley of Peace. It is one of the world's biggest graveyards, containing the remains of millions who wanted to be interred close to Ali. And that's where, for the past week, U.S. soldiers have been shooting it out and driving their tanks around. The worldwide media (except in the U.S.) have carried pictures showing U.S. soldiers stepping on graves and destroying the photos of loved ones laid on top of the crypts.
So what do you suppose the rest of the world is saying about this?
"Illegal under the Geneva Conventions, any fighting or destruction to the mosque would result in incalculable damage to the image and interests of the United States and would be widely condemned across the world," the Los Angeles-based Muslim Public Affairs Council said.
Shiites "worldwide are shocked and outraged over what is going on in Najaf," said Imam Moustafa Al-Qazwini, a prominent Shiite leader in Southern California. "They consider it an assault on the sanctity of Islam and in particular Shia Islam. Any attack on that city will destroy America's future in Iraq completely. It will completely discredit America and make it the new tyrant in the eyes of Shias worldwide."
"The United States is slaughtering the people of one of the holiest Islamic cities, and the Muslim world and the Iraqi nation will not stand by," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of neighboring Iran, said in an address on Iranian state television.
Los Angeles Times: World's Shiites Warn That U.S. Is Treading on Sensitive Ground
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