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CNN Live At Daybreak
Iraqis Flood Into Karbala for Shiite Celebration
Aired April 22, 2003 - 06:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We've told you how Shiite Muslims in Iraq are celebrating a religious tradition that they were forced to abandon years ago. This morning, we take you live to Karbala to see this amazing spectacle.
Karl Penhaul joins us again to talk about the walk to the tomb of a Muslim martyr.
Tell us about it.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Carol, amazing scenes we've seen today. People have been walking for days, literally days, to get here. Some have come barefoot. Others have been crawling on their hands and knees. Others have been beating themselves in penance with metal chains or even cutting their heads.
One man I spoke to set out from his house 18 days ago. Imagine that. That was before Saddam Hussein's government actually fell. This man told us he set off in the hope that he would get through, and his wish has come true.
That wish has been the same for many years of the majority of Iraq's Shiite Muslims. They haven't been permitted to come here freely before. Saddam Hussein only allowed a very limited gathering here.
They've come to pay homage at the shrine of Imam al-Hussein. That's a Muslim martyr, killed more than 1,300 years ago, but revered by Iraq's Shiite majority. So in many senses, there's a festival atmosphere here, a celebration of new-found religious freedom.
But at the same time, Carol, there's a second message, and that second message is to U.S. and British forces. The pilgrims here are saying, yes, thank you, to the coalition forces, for ridding them of Saddam Hussein. But they're now saying to the coalition that the work has been completed, would they now please leave Iraq? Would they leave the Iraqis free to set up the kind of government that they see it, and to choose their own leaders without any outside influence? -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And the Shiites are not saying they want a primary role in Iraqi politics, but sort of a central role, right?
PENHAUL: On several levels, again, Carol, the Shiite Muslim population here makes up about two-thirds of Iraq's total population, so Shiites will be major players in that. The clerics themselves have said that they don't want any central political office. They have said, however, that they want to influence social and civil changes, that (UNINTELLIGIBLE) democracy is as good as playing a central political role, although they don't see themselves as officeholders, but more working with the grassroots, working with the masses, and bringing about change that way.
And many of the pilgrims here have told us that they want the installation of some kind of Islamic law -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Understand. Karl Penhaul live from Karbala this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired April 22, 2003 - 06:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We've told you how Shiite Muslims in Iraq are celebrating a religious tradition that they were forced to abandon years ago. This morning, we take you live to Karbala to see this amazing spectacle.
Karl Penhaul joins us again to talk about the walk to the tomb of a Muslim martyr.
Tell us about it.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Carol, amazing scenes we've seen today. People have been walking for days, literally days, to get here. Some have come barefoot. Others have been crawling on their hands and knees. Others have been beating themselves in penance with metal chains or even cutting their heads.
One man I spoke to set out from his house 18 days ago. Imagine that. That was before Saddam Hussein's government actually fell. This man told us he set off in the hope that he would get through, and his wish has come true.
That wish has been the same for many years of the majority of Iraq's Shiite Muslims. They haven't been permitted to come here freely before. Saddam Hussein only allowed a very limited gathering here.
They've come to pay homage at the shrine of Imam al-Hussein. That's a Muslim martyr, killed more than 1,300 years ago, but revered by Iraq's Shiite majority. So in many senses, there's a festival atmosphere here, a celebration of new-found religious freedom.
But at the same time, Carol, there's a second message, and that second message is to U.S. and British forces. The pilgrims here are saying, yes, thank you, to the coalition forces, for ridding them of Saddam Hussein. But they're now saying to the coalition that the work has been completed, would they now please leave Iraq? Would they leave the Iraqis free to set up the kind of government that they see it, and to choose their own leaders without any outside influence? -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And the Shiites are not saying they want a primary role in Iraqi politics, but sort of a central role, right?
PENHAUL: On several levels, again, Carol, the Shiite Muslim population here makes up about two-thirds of Iraq's total population, so Shiites will be major players in that. The clerics themselves have said that they don't want any central political office. They have said, however, that they want to influence social and civil changes, that (UNINTELLIGIBLE) democracy is as good as playing a central political role, although they don't see themselves as officeholders, but more working with the grassroots, working with the masses, and bringing about change that way.
And many of the pilgrims here have told us that they want the installation of some kind of Islamic law -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Understand. Karl Penhaul live from Karbala this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
