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Shiite Population Celebrates Holiday
Aired April 22, 2003 - 13:26 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: They were denied religious freedom under Saddam Hussein. Now that he is gone, Iraq's majority Shiite population is out in force, openly engaging in a religious ritual for the first time in a quarter century. Some are even calling for an Islamic state.
CNN's Nic Robertson is in the holy city of Karbala, and he has the latest for us -- hello, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles. This is all about freedom, freedom of expression, religious freedom. Under Saddam Hussein's regime, people could not have gathered this way in Karbala. What we have seen is people walking from Baghdad. They could never have done that under Saddam Hussein. They've walked from cities all over Iraq. Under Saddam Hussein's regime, that wouldn't have been allowed. People have been able to walk here barefoot, observing religious rituals that have gone on for centuries. They wouldn't have been able to -- they wouldn't have been allowed to do that. We saw one man a few hours ago, literally crawling on the ground in religious deference, crawling from one of the shrines here to the shrine of Imam Hussein, the religious leader that people have come here to celebrate, commemorate his death almost 1,300 years ago. It is a day that people here are saying that they are very grateful to the United States for giving them this freedom.
They say they certainly recognize, without the United States liberating them from Saddam Hussein, they could not be doing this today but at the same time, they say, Look, thank you very much for liberating us. We're going to be just fine by ourselves now. So the United States, the coalition forces, you can go home, we'll take care of ourselves.
Perhaps the reason that this particular community, over all communities in Iraq, feels this particular way is severalfold. No. 1, they're the largest community. No. 2, their religious leaders have already begun to put forward a political voice for their people, already provide security in some neighborhoods. Already fill the power vacuum, provide some sort of social order. So perhaps they feel secure in that.
Also, there is certainly a feeling here among the Shi'a community that the United States might try and divide their leaders throughout the community. And they know if that happens, then their voice in Iraq's new government, whatever shape that may have, could be minimized. They say they don't want that to happen. Indeed, some of the religious leaders here say that they want a theocracy, they want a religious leadership in Iraq, and they want to be running it. Behind the scenes however, here, there are tensions behind different schools of religious thought.
But most surprisingly, Miles, about the thousands and thousands and thousands of people here, not a shot fired, very calm, very peaceful, despite all the flagellation, despite all the beating, these people very happy, very, very happy to have this freedom, and again, very grateful to the United States for it -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Nic, I'm curious, they say they want an Islamic state. What are the chances of that happening, and what do the Shiites feel about Mr. Chalabi, chosen by the U.S. administration as sort of the leading contender to lead a new Iraq?
ROBERTSON: Every one we talked to says that they want a leader from Iraq, a leader who has been here, who has suffered with them through Saddam Hussein's persecution. They turn to their community, Shiites, even though Ahmed Chalabi is a Shiite, he is widely viewed as having quite secular views, of having been outside of Iraq for over 40 years, of not having suffered in the same way they've suffered.
So mostly here, they say that they don't want him. There are, of course, some people who look to Chalabi, look to the United States, and say, Yes, we need you around for longer, we need the rebuilding, we need the security and stability that you'll provide. But within the community here, they've chosen their own religious leaders to give them their political voice, and it is to them they turn. They look for people who can give them good spiritual guidance in this particular community, and it is a large community. Ahmed Chalabi does not offer them that -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Fascinating story. Nic Robertson in Karbala.
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Aired April 22, 2003 - 13:26 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: They were denied religious freedom under Saddam Hussein. Now that he is gone, Iraq's majority Shiite population is out in force, openly engaging in a religious ritual for the first time in a quarter century. Some are even calling for an Islamic state.
CNN's Nic Robertson is in the holy city of Karbala, and he has the latest for us -- hello, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles. This is all about freedom, freedom of expression, religious freedom. Under Saddam Hussein's regime, people could not have gathered this way in Karbala. What we have seen is people walking from Baghdad. They could never have done that under Saddam Hussein. They've walked from cities all over Iraq. Under Saddam Hussein's regime, that wouldn't have been allowed. People have been able to walk here barefoot, observing religious rituals that have gone on for centuries. They wouldn't have been able to -- they wouldn't have been allowed to do that. We saw one man a few hours ago, literally crawling on the ground in religious deference, crawling from one of the shrines here to the shrine of Imam Hussein, the religious leader that people have come here to celebrate, commemorate his death almost 1,300 years ago. It is a day that people here are saying that they are very grateful to the United States for giving them this freedom.
They say they certainly recognize, without the United States liberating them from Saddam Hussein, they could not be doing this today but at the same time, they say, Look, thank you very much for liberating us. We're going to be just fine by ourselves now. So the United States, the coalition forces, you can go home, we'll take care of ourselves.
Perhaps the reason that this particular community, over all communities in Iraq, feels this particular way is severalfold. No. 1, they're the largest community. No. 2, their religious leaders have already begun to put forward a political voice for their people, already provide security in some neighborhoods. Already fill the power vacuum, provide some sort of social order. So perhaps they feel secure in that.
Also, there is certainly a feeling here among the Shi'a community that the United States might try and divide their leaders throughout the community. And they know if that happens, then their voice in Iraq's new government, whatever shape that may have, could be minimized. They say they don't want that to happen. Indeed, some of the religious leaders here say that they want a theocracy, they want a religious leadership in Iraq, and they want to be running it. Behind the scenes however, here, there are tensions behind different schools of religious thought.
But most surprisingly, Miles, about the thousands and thousands and thousands of people here, not a shot fired, very calm, very peaceful, despite all the flagellation, despite all the beating, these people very happy, very, very happy to have this freedom, and again, very grateful to the United States for it -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Nic, I'm curious, they say they want an Islamic state. What are the chances of that happening, and what do the Shiites feel about Mr. Chalabi, chosen by the U.S. administration as sort of the leading contender to lead a new Iraq?
ROBERTSON: Every one we talked to says that they want a leader from Iraq, a leader who has been here, who has suffered with them through Saddam Hussein's persecution. They turn to their community, Shiites, even though Ahmed Chalabi is a Shiite, he is widely viewed as having quite secular views, of having been outside of Iraq for over 40 years, of not having suffered in the same way they've suffered.
So mostly here, they say that they don't want him. There are, of course, some people who look to Chalabi, look to the United States, and say, Yes, we need you around for longer, we need the rebuilding, we need the security and stability that you'll provide. But within the community here, they've chosen their own religious leaders to give them their political voice, and it is to them they turn. They look for people who can give them good spiritual guidance in this particular community, and it is a large community. Ahmed Chalabi does not offer them that -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: Fascinating story. Nic Robertson in 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
