Bad Idea For USA: Intervening In Other Countries' Religious Wars

I was in my car a few nights ago and I heard a pompous asshole, Max Boot, on NPR, introduced as an Iraq expert-- he was an advisor on Iraq to McCain and Romney's failed presidential campaigns. I wanted to write down the load of crap he was spewing about how Obama is "losing" Iraq and I was especially eager to try to remember the nonsense he was babbling about how the Sunnis and the Shia get along so well. But I couldn't remember and I just let it pass-- until Thursday night, when Chris Hayes played the above compendium of McCain's colossal wrongness on Iraq. And there was the silly right-wing Sunni/Shia thing.

Americans never got-- and still don't get-- the depth of historical antagonism between the two groups-- from Pakistan to the Arabian peninsula to Lebanon and, especially, in Iraq. Simplistic as this construct is, think about the Catholics and Protestants in Ireland and imagine some drooling warmonger like Lindsey Graham or McCain claiming they've always gotten along just fine. American policymakers should at lest understand the Battle of Karbala (680 AD) before they start spouting off about how well the Shia and Sunnis have always gotten along.

Nothing can ever stop congenital warmongers like McCain and he's entitled to all the ignorance that still fuels him. If he actually runs for office again, I hope Arizona voters will read what he apparently never has: Shia Rights Watch.

Shia have a long history of facing injustice. Ever since the death of the Prophet of Islam, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Shia have faced discrimination because they criticized the Caliphs for unjust and violent acts. Shia advocated non-violence and equal human rights for all; the Caliphs, on the other hand, neglected people’s basic human rights.

The growth of these ideological differences led to the formation of anti-Shia extremist groups, such as the Wahabbi, Salafi and Nasebi sects. Many Shia have lost their freedom, dignity,and lives throughout history at the hands of such groups. Eleven out of the twelve Shia Imams and their companions were murdered by either anti-Shia groups or dictators. It can therefore be concluded that anti-Shi’ism has been a threat to Shia since the death of the Prophet Muhammad.

In recent years, with the financial support of Saudi Arabia, Anti-Shi’ism has increased dramatically throughout the world and includes: the demolition of Shia Shrines in Saudi Arabia; attacks on Shia homes in Bahrain; the mass killing of Shia in Pakistan; road bombs in Shia-populated areas of Syria and Iraq; targeted attacks on Shia and Alawies in Damascus; and the destruction of Shia homes in Indonesia and pressure on Shia in Malaysia to convert.

Murder and forced displacement however, are not the only manifestation of anti-Shi’ism.

Anti-Shi’ism is found in other forms including, but not limited to:

•Faith (some sects consider the Shia to be nonbelievers (Kuffar),
•Economic (Shia are unable to climb to high level government jobs, nor can they hold critical economic positions in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia)
•Social (Shia are excluded from participation in mainstream society in Malaysia)
•Subjugation (In some parts of the world, Shia are treated as second-class citizens)

…10 June 2014
Maximum Alert In Iraq As Of Today

After last week’s attack on Samarra, the terrorist group The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) has taken control Mosul as Shia Rights Watch previously reported. Mosul and its surrounding villages are home to more than half a million Shia Muslims. The attack on Mosul resulted in ISIS taking over important government buildings and freeing over 2500 prisoners.

Just hours after the attacks began, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki declared a “maximum alert,” putting weapons into the hands of all the city’s men, and urged parliament to announce a countrywide “state of emergency.”

According to government sources, who did not want to be named, tens of thousands of Shia families were threatened to be slaughtered. The city’s Shia community of over 100 thousand out (of the half million Shia living in Mosul and environs) have tried to flee to Turkey along with everyone else, but are being denied entrance and must find refuge elsewhere.

According to some sources the Iraqi army fled the city of Mosul today as it was taken by ISIS, leaving behind weapons and equipment that had been sent by the US.

AS THE CONFLICT ELEVATED IN MOSUL, ANOTHER ATTACK OCCURRED ON SAMARRA WHICH IS STILL RECOVERING FROM LAST WEEK’S TERRIFYING ATTACK. MANY SHIA PILGRIMS ARE TRAPPED INSIDE THE AL-ASKARI

Shrine with no access to food and water in Iraq’s triple digit desert heat.

The militants have taken over the local TV stations, the governor’s offices, banks, police stations, military bases, prisons, etc., and are waving black banners all across the city, a flag representing ISIS.

ISIS is now armed with the most advanced weapon available to the Iraqi army and are threatening the vulnerable Shia community. The conflict, that was not a shock to government, is creating anxiety and extreme fear among residents and pilgrims who visit Iraq during the month of Sha’aban. Sha’ban is the month during which Shia pilgrims from around the world visit the city of Samarra, Iraq for religious celebration. Some sources reveal the Iraqi government was aware of the possible attacks by ISIS but underestimated the gravity of the threat.