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Karbala Pilgrim Attracts Hundreds Of

Juan Cole 10/13/2003

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Karbala Pilgrim attracts Hundreds of Thousands; Muqtada explains Shadow Government

Hundreds of thousands if not over a million pilgrims crowded into Karbala on Sunday to commemorate the birth of the Twelfth Imam, who is expected to return as a messiah one day by Shiites. It was the first time in decades they could celebrate the holiday openly.

Meanwhiled, young Shiite radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr explained more about his proposed alternative cabinet, to AFP: “The young cleric [Muqtada al-Sadr], who made the announcement during his weekly prayer sermon Friday, gave only few details, but one of his spokesmen told AFP Sunday the “alternative cabinet” would be led by Muslims but open to all. “It is not exclusive to clergymen or Muslims. It is open to all parties, sides and confessions. We will coordinate with all,” said Sheikh Hassan al-Zirqawi. “But it has to be under Muslim religious supervision,” he added.”

The one good thing about the Sadrists is that they are brutally honest about their intentions. The Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq probably wants a cabinet that is under Muslim religious supervision, too, but it won’t say so openly. Not that the Sadrists don’t try to spin things. What good would it do to have a Christian on the cabinet if he is “under Muslim religious supervision”?

http://www.brunei-online.com/

bb/mon/oct13w27.htm

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About the Author

Juan Cole is the founder and chief editor of Informed Comment. He is Richard P. Mitchell Professor of History at the University of Michigan He is author of, among many other books, Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires and The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Follow him on Twitter at @jricole or the Informed Comment Facebook Page

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