Fallujah Imam: Be Vigilant in Face of US Conspiracies
Sadrist al-Nu`mani: Violence in Iraq Orchestrated by US
Shiites Condemn HAMAS
The USG Open Source Center provides summaries of the major sermons in Iraq’s big mosques, Sunni and Shiite, last Friday. The difference in the concerns of Sunni and Shiite preachers is striking and a cause for concern. Mind you, this is what is on Iraqi television channels, it is not just in the mosques. Do yourself a favor and read the entire report. Some of the good stuff is toward the end.
‘ Iraqi Television: Roundup of Friday Sermons 9 Jun
Iraq — OSC Report
Monday, June 12, 2006 T13:39:27ZAt 0845 GMT Baghdad Satellite Channel in Arabic, reportedly sponsored by the Iraqi Islamic Party, carries a live relay of the Friday sermon from the (Sunni) Dhi al-Nurayn Mosque [Sunni Arab]. Shaykh Jamal Abd-al-Rahman begins his sermon by recounting the “sad events” of the previous week, in which Sunnis in Basra were “murdered and displaced.” Furthermore, Shaykh Abd-al-Rahman produces an ultimatum letter that was given to a resident of Al-Shu’lah city threatening to kill him if he fails to evacuate. Al-Rahman reads out the contents of the letter, while leaving out the name of the religious authority who appeared to sanction it, in order to avoid any accusations of stoking tension among Muslims. Al-Rahman calls on (Sunni) Muslims to remain resilient in the face of the “oppressors” who seek to weaken them . . .