Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Religious Pilgrimage in Karbala

Aired April 23, 2003 - 06:32   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: All morning long we've been telling you about hundreds of thousands of Shia Muslims in Karbala, Iraq. Today is the final day of a three-day religious pilgrimage that Saddam Hussein had banned.
CNN's Nic Robertson joins us live now from Karbala on this very emotional gathering.

Good morning -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Indeed, very emotional. It is beginning to wind down a little bit. We are seeing gaps in the road here. There is another group of Shia Muslims approaching the shrine of Imam Hussein. They are coming up from behind me now.

But this has been a real expression of religious freedom, of freedom of speech. People could not have gathered here in this way under Saddam Hussein's regime. Many people have walked here from cities around Iraq. They were banned from doing that. They were banned from walking down the roads as they walk down the roads now.

They were banned as well from what we're seeing, where people have been beating themselves, the flagellation. This is part of their religious ritual that was banned under Saddam Hussein. It is an expression of guilt that back in the 7th century Shia Muslims did not come to the aid of one of their religious icons.

But what we have been hearing from people here is despite the fact that they know and say that they're very grateful that the United States has given them this religious freedom, they say now is the time for the coalition troops, now is the time for the United States troops to pull out of Iraq.

Some of the religious leaders here have been filling the power vacuum left by Saddam Hussein's regime. Their message to their people now is that they want to give them a new political direction, but that political direction should be governed by Islamic law, that they say that there should be an intertwining of religious and political affairs inside Iraq. Indeed, some of the religious leaders here talking about the need for an Islamic state inside Iraq.

When we say to people, look, the United States helped you get rid of Saddam Hussein, why don't you trust them, why do you want to get rid of them at this early stage? And they say that in coming to Baghdad and alleviating the pressures on the Shia people, they say that many Shia civilians died. They say that this didn't happen to the Sunni Muslims, the other Muslims inside Iraq. And they say that is why they're deeply skeptical of what the United States plans for Iraq.

Indeed, some of the Shia leaders here say that there are concerns that the United States politically wants to divide the Shia community, so that the Shia community that has long been downtrodden in Iraq they believe perhaps the United States wants to continue that so the Shia community does not have a loud political voice -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And I know the Shiites pretty much control Karbala. I mean, they're the ones keeping order there. And you have to wonder what reception General Jay Garner will receive when he finally meets with them.

ROBERTSON: Well, certainly I think the religious leaders here today would advise him that this would not be the right day to come here. It's a very religious day. It's very emotionally-charged. Many people have walked here for several days in the sun. They've been beating themselves. There's a lot of religious emotional fervor here, and perhaps not the right day for him to come.

Some of the leaders here will probably offer to set up meetings, meet behind closed doors, meet in a more quiet, less public manner.

But in some areas where the Shia Muslims have already begun to take control of their communities, they have been bypassed by the coalition forces, by the U.S. troops on the ground as those troops begin to try and rebuild a civil administration. And for that reason, some of the Shia leaders believe that their political efforts will be undermined by the United States.

There is still a lot of skepticism. Clearly, there's still a lot of talking to be done by Jay Garner, by some of the religious leaders here, so that both sides fully understand what each side is expecting of each other at this time -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Nic Robertson reporting live from Karbala.

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 23, 2003 - 06:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: All morning long we've been telling you about hundreds of thousands of Shia Muslims in Karbala, Iraq. Today is the final day of a three-day religious pilgrimage that Saddam Hussein had banned.
CNN's Nic Robertson joins us live now from Karbala on this very emotional gathering.

Good morning -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Indeed, very emotional. It is beginning to wind down a little bit. We are seeing gaps in the road here. There is another group of Shia Muslims approaching the shrine of Imam Hussein. They are coming up from behind me now.

But this has been a real expression of religious freedom, of freedom of speech. People could not have gathered here in this way under Saddam Hussein's regime. Many people have walked here from cities around Iraq. They were banned from doing that. They were banned from walking down the roads as they walk down the roads now.

They were banned as well from what we're seeing, where people have been beating themselves, the flagellation. This is part of their religious ritual that was banned under Saddam Hussein. It is an expression of guilt that back in the 7th century Shia Muslims did not come to the aid of one of their religious icons.

But what we have been hearing from people here is despite the fact that they know and say that they're very grateful that the United States has given them this religious freedom, they say now is the time for the coalition troops, now is the time for the United States troops to pull out of Iraq.

Some of the religious leaders here have been filling the power vacuum left by Saddam Hussein's regime. Their message to their people now is that they want to give them a new political direction, but that political direction should be governed by Islamic law, that they say that there should be an intertwining of religious and political affairs inside Iraq. Indeed, some of the religious leaders here talking about the need for an Islamic state inside Iraq.

When we say to people, look, the United States helped you get rid of Saddam Hussein, why don't you trust them, why do you want to get rid of them at this early stage? And they say that in coming to Baghdad and alleviating the pressures on the Shia people, they say that many Shia civilians died. They say that this didn't happen to the Sunni Muslims, the other Muslims inside Iraq. And they say that is why they're deeply skeptical of what the United States plans for Iraq.

Indeed, some of the Shia leaders here say that there are concerns that the United States politically wants to divide the Shia community, so that the Shia community that has long been downtrodden in Iraq they believe perhaps the United States wants to continue that so the Shia community does not have a loud political voice -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And I know the Shiites pretty much control Karbala. I mean, they're the ones keeping order there. And you have to wonder what reception General Jay Garner will receive when he finally meets with them.

ROBERTSON: Well, certainly I think the religious leaders here today would advise him that this would not be the right day to come here. It's a very religious day. It's very emotionally-charged. Many people have walked here for several days in the sun. They've been beating themselves. There's a lot of religious emotional fervor here, and perhaps not the right day for him to come.

Some of the leaders here will probably offer to set up meetings, meet behind closed doors, meet in a more quiet, less public manner.

But in some areas where the Shia Muslims have already begun to take control of their communities, they have been bypassed by the coalition forces, by the U.S. troops on the ground as those troops begin to try and rebuild a civil administration. And for that reason, some of the Shia leaders believe that their political efforts will be undermined by the United States.

There is still a lot of skepticism. Clearly, there's still a lot of talking to be done by Jay Garner, by some of the religious leaders here, so that both sides fully understand what each side is expecting of each other at this time -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Nic Robertson reporting live from Karbala.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.