Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Shi'ites Hold First Major Religious Celebration in Karbala in Decades
Aired April 22, 2003 - 14:45 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Freedom for tens of thousands of Iraqi Shi'ites, it has real meaning today. For the first time in decades they are gathering in the cities of Najaf and Karbala to celebrate religious traditions banned by Saddam Hussein. CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is there and observing the festivities. Hi, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. Well, maybe you can hear the crowds around me. It's already late in the evening.
But the religious freedom, the freedom of expression that was banned under Saddam Hussein is certainly being expressed here. What we're looking at are crowds of Shi'a faithful who are marching between the two main shrines here in Karbala. Every so often they stop to beat themselves. This is expressing their guilt that many centuries ago their ancestors failed to come to the aid of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the prophet Mohammed.
But what we have seen today is this religious expression of freedom. Saddam Hussein banned people from coming to Karbala in these numbers. He banned them from walking here. What we've seen them doing today is walking, 60 miles, some of them, from cities like Baghdad, other cities from around Iraq. Some of them even walking barefoot. One man a few hours ago literally crawled past us here in his way of paying homage at these shrines, crawled from one shrine to another.
People here telling us they are very grateful to the United States, the coalition forces for liberating them from Saddam Hussein and his regime, very grateful for this new freedom. But at the same time, they say, thank you very much, the United States can go now. The coalition forces can go. You have liberated us. We're going to be OK.
Perhaps one of the reasons that this community, the Shi'a Muslim community here that makes up about two-thirds of the population in Iraq -- maybe one of the reasons it feels it can do this, it has already -- religious leaders have begun to emerge with a political voice, provide security for their communities, provide social organization for their communities, filling a vacuum left by Saddam Hussein's regime.
There is also a fear by some of the political and religious leaders in the Shi'a community that they believe the United States would like to divide the Shi'a community between different leaders to minimize their political voice. And for this reason, we are seeing calls already from this particular community, a very large community in Iraq, for the United States to withdraw its forces from this country -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson there in Karbala. Absolutely amazing pictures, Nic. And what a statement on the future of Iraq.
Well for years, Iraq Shi'as have played second fiddle to the Sunnis, even though they are the majority. The Sunnis were favored by Saddam Hussein and held a higher status in Iraq. Both groups are Muslim, but here's one area in which they disagree. Sunnis believe that after death of Mohammed, religious leaders, or leadership rather, can be chosen from the community at large. Shi'as believe only descendants of the prophet may lead.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
in Decades>
Aired April 22, 2003 - 14:45 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Freedom for tens of thousands of Iraqi Shi'ites, it has real meaning today. For the first time in decades they are gathering in the cities of Najaf and Karbala to celebrate religious traditions banned by Saddam Hussein. CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is there and observing the festivities. Hi, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. Well, maybe you can hear the crowds around me. It's already late in the evening.
But the religious freedom, the freedom of expression that was banned under Saddam Hussein is certainly being expressed here. What we're looking at are crowds of Shi'a faithful who are marching between the two main shrines here in Karbala. Every so often they stop to beat themselves. This is expressing their guilt that many centuries ago their ancestors failed to come to the aid of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the prophet Mohammed.
But what we have seen today is this religious expression of freedom. Saddam Hussein banned people from coming to Karbala in these numbers. He banned them from walking here. What we've seen them doing today is walking, 60 miles, some of them, from cities like Baghdad, other cities from around Iraq. Some of them even walking barefoot. One man a few hours ago literally crawled past us here in his way of paying homage at these shrines, crawled from one shrine to another.
People here telling us they are very grateful to the United States, the coalition forces for liberating them from Saddam Hussein and his regime, very grateful for this new freedom. But at the same time, they say, thank you very much, the United States can go now. The coalition forces can go. You have liberated us. We're going to be OK.
Perhaps one of the reasons that this community, the Shi'a Muslim community here that makes up about two-thirds of the population in Iraq -- maybe one of the reasons it feels it can do this, it has already -- religious leaders have begun to emerge with a political voice, provide security for their communities, provide social organization for their communities, filling a vacuum left by Saddam Hussein's regime.
There is also a fear by some of the political and religious leaders in the Shi'a community that they believe the United States would like to divide the Shi'a community between different leaders to minimize their political voice. And for this reason, we are seeing calls already from this particular community, a very large community in Iraq, for the United States to withdraw its forces from this country -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson there in Karbala. Absolutely amazing pictures, Nic. And what a statement on the future of Iraq.
Well for years, Iraq Shi'as have played second fiddle to the Sunnis, even though they are the majority. The Sunnis were favored by Saddam Hussein and held a higher status in Iraq. Both groups are Muslim, but here's one area in which they disagree. Sunnis believe that after death of Mohammed, religious leaders, or leadership rather, can be chosen from the community at large. Shi'as believe only descendants of the prophet may lead.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
in Decades>
