A Shi'a-Sunni War of International Dimension Looms Ahead

Update1: Fears of Shi'ite on Shi'ite Warfare in Iraq

By Safa Haeri

Paris, First of August (IPS) A very dangerous fratricide war that can enflame the whole of the Muslim world may take place if the Saudi Arabia’s authorities do not oblige the country’s religious instances to immediately withdraw fatwas by Wahabbi muftis ordering the destruction of all Shi’a mosques and holly places in Iraq.
“Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia and some other leading Wahhabi muftis have reportedly endorsed a fatwa allowing for the destruction of Shi’ite holy shrines of Imam Hoseyn (Shi’a’s third and most revered imam) and his brother hazrat Abbas in Karbala, of their sister hazrat Zeinab in Damascus, Syria, as well as Imam Ali, (the first Imam of Sh’ia Muslims), in Najaf, Iraq”, both the official news agency IRNA and the English-language newspaper "Iran Daily", published by IRNA, reported on Sunday 22 July 2007.
In the decree first released before the second attack on Samarra shrines, Wahhabis are asked to destroy all signs of "polytheism" in Iraqi cities, an implicit reference to the Shi’ite shrines, Iran Daily further reported. "The shrine of (Imam) Hoseyn in Karbala, as one of the main symbols of Shi’ites, should be destroyed," the decree said.
Iranian religious circles reaction to the fatwa was crushing and ferocious, describing the Wahabis as “terrorists”, “puppets of Americans and Israelis”, in an obvious effort not to attack directly the Saudi authorities.

Iranian Grand Ayatollah Lotfollah Safi Golpayegani, one of Shiite sources of jurisprudence in the Holy city of Qom strongly denounced a religious decree issued by some Saudi Mufties (religious figures) to destroy Shi’ate holy sites.

Also, Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi and Ayatollah Hoseyn Nouri Hamedani said in separate statements that the Saudi government is responsible for stopping the extremist muftis from waging propaganda campaign against the Infallible Household of Prophet Mohammad.

“Saudi Arabia has unfortunately been turned into a school for nurturing terrorism and supporting the terrorists, promoting an inauthentic version of Islam, and this recent verdict issued by Saudi terrorism worshiper Mufties is strongly denounced", IRNA quoted a communiqué issued by Ayatollah Golpayegani's Office.

"The alert Muslims of the world, prominent Islamic World Alims, scientific and university societies, elites, and statesmen of the important Islamic countries should know that the dark minded, deviated Wahhabi sect has today after a whole century of hatching anti-Islamic plots, got weaker than ever before, and more ill-famed in the eyed of the world Muslims, which is the reason why it has begun killing, massacring, destroying, and committing all types of other corrupt behaviors", Safi Golpayegani has in the communiqué reiterated.

He adds, "The brutal acts committed by this corrupt clan has led to the creation of a very negative image of Islam and the world Muslims in the eyes of the world nations, horrifying and intimidating the innocent human beings, while the dear Islam is the religion of peace, brotherhood, and all-encompassing love of God for His entire creatures".

The Grand Ayatollah stresses, "This gang of the few that is most unfortunately in charge of Islam's two holiest shrines today, has turned those sacred places to the cradle for terrorism, exporting terrorists to Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and lately also to other countries, such as Lebanon, Algeria, and wherever they can, in a bid to flicker the flames of sectarian and civil wars here and there."

Iran's government spokesman Qolamhoseyn Elham said yesterday while commenting on the Fatwa (religious decree) that the world's arrogant powers are seeking to add fuel to sectarian and racial disputes among Muslims, (religious order) by Wahhabites to demolish holy sites and shrines in Muslim states.

"Such measures are taken outside the region," said the spokesman addressing reporters at his weekly press briefing. Referring to the measures made by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, the spokesman said "Riyadh is itself under the threats of seditious thoughts. If such thoughts are followed by terrorist acts and violence, then it will be harmful to everyone".
In articles, Iranian pro-Government and official media, on the occasion of the birthday of Ali, have reminded that from the start, the Sunnis have been the “usurpers” by naming Abou Bakr, the father of the prophet’s wife, as successor to Mohammad instead of Ali, his uncle and son – in – law, and whom the prophet had named as his successor.

In a coordinated, nationwide campaign, on Friday 28 July, a number of leading Friday preachers from main cities attacked the “heretic and ignorant” Wahabbits and in order of not out rightly attacking the Saudi authorities, avoiding an unwelcome tension with Riyadh, they instead focused the muftis who, they claimed were “puppets” of America, Israel, the world imperialism and international Zionism “who directed and dictated them the fratricide fatwa aimed at dividing the Muslim world”.

“These little brained people, this nefarious sect is attached to the imperialist and Zionism. These fatwas proves tht they are fabricated by the world imperialism”, said Ayatollah Mohsen Mojtahed Shabastari, the Representative e of the Leader for the Eastern Azerbaijan and the Friday preacher of Tabriz, the capital city of this north-western province bordering Turkey.
These little brained Wahabbi people, this nefarious sect is attached to the imperialist and Zionism.

“One of America’s antagonistic policies against Iran is the encouraging the fatwas of Wahabbi muftis against the Shi’as”, added Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Rahbar, of the central and historic city of Esfahan.
A group of university students rallied in front of Saudi Arabia?s Embassy in Tehran to protest against the recent fatwa of Saudi Wahhabi muftis who called for the destruction of Shiite holy shrines in Iraq, Iran Daily reported.
Students held banners and asked Saudi officials to condemn the move and apologize to Shiite Muslims.
....
“Although I expressed a personal view, but even today, many Iranians, as well as Bahrainis, consider Bahrain as belonging to Iran”, Mr. Hoseyn Shari’atmadari, reiterated in a interview with the London-based, Saudi-owned newspaper Al Sharq al Awsat, a daily that often the Iranians describes as “pro Zionist”.

Despite repeated protests from Manama and other GCC members demanding Tehran “clarifications” and a formal apology, Iranian authorities took no action against the article of Keyhan, as it was written by a close advisor to the Leader, stating that the item had been “his personal view and based on existing historic facts”.

This was also the point Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told the Bahrainis when he hastily visited Manama to assure them that the incendiary article was not Tehran’s official policy.

The GCC media have gone on the offensive, describing Iran as an "enemy of God and Islam", "worse than the infidel West", and an "enemy of Arabs", and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as an "innocent dictator".

In response, the Iranian pro-Government media accused the Kuwaiti leadership of complicity in Iraq's invasion of Iran in 1980 and the Saudi government of tacitly endorsing the blistering anti-Shi'ite fatwa (religious decree) by the Saudi clergymen.

“Why the GCC refuse to accept the historic fact that Bahrain belonged to Iran and was detached from mainland by a shameful act worked out by the Americans and the British that the Islamic Republic had the honesty to accept the fait accompli, why when the GCC claims the ownership of the three Iranian Islands of the Persian Gulf (Abou Moussa and the greater and Lesser Tumbs), why when Iran alone stands up to the American and Israeli plots and manipulations and also defends by all means the rights of the Muslim people of Palestine, it is not acts against the unity and brotherhood among all Muslims, but an article by Keyhan based on facts is trouble-making and dividing the Muslims?” Mr. Shari’atmadari charged in response to the attacks by the GCC and other Arab press.

The article was reflecting Iranian officials and media about the negative role of Saudi Arabia, stressing that according to the latest report by US military, more than 60% of the foreign fighters are Saudi nationals and several thousand of them are in US custody...much more

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Baath Party: Threats over Oil Law; Seeks Info on Iranian Shiite Crimes in 1991. Excerpts:

The USG Open Source Center translates two communiques from the Iraqi Baath Party. As long-time readers know, I believe the Baath Party cells are a significant component of what the US calls the 'insurgency,' but that they allow Salafi Jihadis to take the 'credit' for some of their terror operations. The first memo calls on Iraqis to provide information on the crimes of 'Iranian agents' during the spring, 1991 uprising against the Baghdad government. The subtext is that this uprising was planned and led by the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, then based in Tehran. The head of the dominant Shiite bloc in the current parliament is Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council.

The Baath Party wants the information collected to help in the defense of Baath officials accused of putting down the rebellion with great brutality (some 60,000 rebels are estimated to have been killed.) The second threatens violent reprisals against parliamentarians who approve the draft petroleum bill being pushed for by the Bush administration.Ba'th Party Urges Iraqis To Provide Information on Iranian Agents' 1991 'Crimes'Jihadist Websites -- OSC SummaryFriday, August 10, 2007 Terrorism: Call to Ba'thists, Security Men, Members of Armed Forces, All Honorable Iraqis On 11 July, a jihadist website posted a statement by the Ba'th Party in Iraq calling, once more, on all "honorable" Iraqis who may have information about crimes against Iraqis committed by "Iranian agents" during 1991 and the role of Iran in such crimes to come forth and present it at the forthcoming trial. The statement was attributed to Al-Basrah Net.

A summary of the statement follows:"Previously, we have issued a call for all Ba'thists, security agents, members of the jihadist armed forces, and all 'honorable' Iraqis to come forth and present information they may have about the 'crimes committed by Iranian agents' in 1991, as well as about the 'role' of Iran in such crimes. This information is needed in order to 'bring it to the attention of world and Arab public opinion,' and in order to make use of it to 'contest' the charges against the comrades in the forthcoming trials against them.

Due to the fact that the trials will open soon, 'we hope that all the comrades' will speed up the dispatch of any information they have, especially those who lived in the Provinces of Basra and Maysan at the time."