Sunni Shiite Battles Not Unknown Hamza

Juan Cole 10/01/2003

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Sunni-Shiite Battles Not Unknown

Hamza Hendawi of the Associated Press filed a story on the life and death of the radical Sunni, Muhammad Salem Abu Bakr, who grew to hate Shiites after the fall of Saddam. When he gloated about the death of Ayatollah Muhammad Baqir al-Hakim on Aug. 29, a mob of Shiites gathered and the confrontation turned into a gunbattle. Abu Bakr was killed, along with two Shiites (some had been old classmates of his). (Reference below).

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