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Religious Revival for Shiite Muslims in Iraq
Aired April 21, 2003 - 15:36 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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Iraq's majority Shiite population is experiencing new religious freedom now that Saddam Hussein's government is gone. Today, tens of thousands of Shiite Muslims gathered in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala in a tradition that was suppressed under Saddam Hussein.
CNN's Karl Penhaul joins us now from Najaf. Karl, it was a pretty huge gathering, we understand.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Kyra. It's getting on now from midnight, and still the pilgrims are arriving, tens of thousands of them. Possibly hundreds of thousands of them have been arriving during the day walking, sometimes crawling, even. Many of them are coming here and beating themselves with chains. Part of the ritual here to celebrate and to honor the martyr Hussein, one of the most revered Muslim martyrs for Iraq's Shiite population.
In many senses, this is also a celebration of newfound religious freedom since the fall of Saddam Hussein. Under Saddam, these people weren't allowed to walk here. Saddam only permitted a very small number to ride here in trucks and buses. But the people here tell me that Shiite tradition dictates that they should walk here. And very much, they've observed that call.
Now they are walking here. They're walking here and there are tens of thousands. Predictions are there could be even millions.
But as you say, there are some strange aspects here, because what started out as a religious festival, a religious ceremony, is also fast becoming a political statement on behalf of many of these Shiite Muslims. Some of the slogans we're hearing out here, some of the placards, some of the signs we're seeing are saying to the American and British troops that they must now go home. That they have done what they came to do, to help free Iraq of Saddam Hussein, and now the pilgrims are saying that they want to be allowed to govern their affairs their own way.
Many of them, indeed, are calling for the foundation of the Islamic state, and many of them are calling for closer ties with Iran -- Kyra.
WOODRUFF: All right, Karl Penhaul. It is Judy Woodruff, but we can understand, thousands of miles away, it's hard to know which anchor is throwing to you. Karl Penhaul, though, with a live report from Najaf in Iraq. Thanks, Karl. 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 21, 2003 - 15:36 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Iraq's majority Shiite population is experiencing new religious freedom now that Saddam Hussein's government is gone. Today, tens of thousands of Shiite Muslims gathered in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala in a tradition that was suppressed under Saddam Hussein.
CNN's Karl Penhaul joins us now from Najaf. Karl, it was a pretty huge gathering, we understand.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Kyra. It's getting on now from midnight, and still the pilgrims are arriving, tens of thousands of them. Possibly hundreds of thousands of them have been arriving during the day walking, sometimes crawling, even. Many of them are coming here and beating themselves with chains. Part of the ritual here to celebrate and to honor the martyr Hussein, one of the most revered Muslim martyrs for Iraq's Shiite population.
In many senses, this is also a celebration of newfound religious freedom since the fall of Saddam Hussein. Under Saddam, these people weren't allowed to walk here. Saddam only permitted a very small number to ride here in trucks and buses. But the people here tell me that Shiite tradition dictates that they should walk here. And very much, they've observed that call.
Now they are walking here. They're walking here and there are tens of thousands. Predictions are there could be even millions.
But as you say, there are some strange aspects here, because what started out as a religious festival, a religious ceremony, is also fast becoming a political statement on behalf of many of these Shiite Muslims. Some of the slogans we're hearing out here, some of the placards, some of the signs we're seeing are saying to the American and British troops that they must now go home. That they have done what they came to do, to help free Iraq of Saddam Hussein, and now the pilgrims are saying that they want to be allowed to govern their affairs their own way.
Many of them, indeed, are calling for the foundation of the Islamic state, and many of them are calling for closer ties with Iran -- Kyra.
WOODRUFF: All right, Karl Penhaul. It is Judy Woodruff, but we can understand, thousands of miles away, it's hard to know which anchor is throwing to you. Karl Penhaul, though, with a live report from Najaf in Iraq. Thanks, Karl. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
