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CNN Live At Daybreak
Baghdad Demonstration
Aired May 19, 2003 - 06:09 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: In neighboring Iraq, a unity rally. Crowds predicted to be a million strong were expected to turn out at a demonstration in Baghdad today, but the actual number fell far short.
CNN's Jane Arraf joins us live from the Iraqi capital.
Good morning -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Carol.
Though it was smaller, as you mentioned, than a million people, maybe 15,000, but they did crowd that street leading all the way back to that mosque, which is one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam, the tombs of 2 of the 12 imams. And on that podium was one of the most influential imams in Baghdad. He is Mohammed al-Fartousi (ph), who is the imam from what used to be Saddam City, known as Sadr City now by followers of that Shaif (ph).
And it's Ayatollah Mohammed Sadiq Sadr, who most of those people came to pledge allegiance to. He was assassinated in 1999, believed to have been killed by Saddam Hussein's regime. And although these people were here for what they said was a unity rally with Sunni Muslims and Christians, really what they were pledging allegiance to was their faction of Shia Islam, a quite powerful one.
And an indication from these pictures that you see here that there is quite a bit of support and really a hunger for Shias, who have been shut out of the political scene for so long in Iraq, to be given a political voice.
Now, what they said they wanted was an Iraq that was free of extremism and fanaticism, but still they do want an Iraq that complies with Islamic values. We're not exactly sure yet what exactly that will mean, but clearly they do want things like women to cover their hair, they want alcohol to be banned, and many other things that most people feel would contribute to an Islamic state -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jane Arraf reporting live from Baghdad, many thanks.
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 May 19, 2003 - 06:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: In neighboring Iraq, a unity rally. Crowds predicted to be a million strong were expected to turn out at a demonstration in Baghdad today, but the actual number fell far short.
CNN's Jane Arraf joins us live from the Iraqi capital.
Good morning -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Carol.
Though it was smaller, as you mentioned, than a million people, maybe 15,000, but they did crowd that street leading all the way back to that mosque, which is one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam, the tombs of 2 of the 12 imams. And on that podium was one of the most influential imams in Baghdad. He is Mohammed al-Fartousi (ph), who is the imam from what used to be Saddam City, known as Sadr City now by followers of that Shaif (ph).
And it's Ayatollah Mohammed Sadiq Sadr, who most of those people came to pledge allegiance to. He was assassinated in 1999, believed to have been killed by Saddam Hussein's regime. And although these people were here for what they said was a unity rally with Sunni Muslims and Christians, really what they were pledging allegiance to was their faction of Shia Islam, a quite powerful one.
And an indication from these pictures that you see here that there is quite a bit of support and really a hunger for Shias, who have been shut out of the political scene for so long in Iraq, to be given a political voice.
Now, what they said they wanted was an Iraq that was free of extremism and fanaticism, but still they do want an Iraq that complies with Islamic values. We're not exactly sure yet what exactly that will mean, but clearly they do want things like women to cover their hair, they want alcohol to be banned, and many other things that most people feel would contribute to an Islamic state -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jane Arraf reporting live from Baghdad, many thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
