Najaf pilgrimage ends quietly
2007-10-04 19:30
Najaf - The first major religious
ceremony in Iraq since clashes between Shi'ite militias killed
52 people in August have passed without incident, Iraqi security
officials said on Thursday.
Iraqi security forces estimated about 1.5 million pilgrims
converged on the city of Najaf to commemorate the killing more
than 13 centuries ago of Imam Ali, Prophet Mohammad's revered
son-in-law and first Imam of Shi'ite Islam.
More than 30 000 security guards, aerial surveillance,
numerous checkpoints and concrete barriers meant pilgrims were
shepherded safely through the outskirts of Najaf before buses
and minibuses ferried them closer to the shrine.
"There have been no breaches or incidents, the performance
of the security forces has been very good," said Colonel Ali
Nomas Jereo, spokesperson for the security operation.
However, fear of violence meant the number of Shi'ite
pilgrims who came to Najaf, 160km south of Baghdad,
was about half the turnout last year.
Imam Ali was fatally wounded in the 7th century while
praying in the main mosque of nearby Kufa. He was the leader of
the Islamic Caliphate at the time of his assassination.
Though he is also revered by the world's Sunni Muslims, his
death triggered the theological and political split in Islam
that resulted in the Sunni and Shi'ite sects.