May 17, 2003	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 14, 1424

BAGHDAD, May 16: Shia religious leader Mohammed al-Fartussi on Friday threatened “sinful women,” alcohol sellers and cinemas of grave consequences if they did not stop their practices within a week.

“The cinemas in Al-Saadun Street show indecent films. I warn them: if in a week they do not change, we will act differently with them,” he said in a sermon at the weekly Friday prayers at Al-Mohsen mosque in Baghdad’s Shia suburb of Sadr City.

“We warn women and the go-betweens who take them to the Americans: If in a week from now they do not change their attitude, the murder of these women is sanctioned,” Fartussi added.

“This warning also goes out to sellers of alcohol, radios and televisions,” the imam told a crowd of several thousand faithful.

“The torching of cinemas would be permitted” by Islam unless they changed their behaviour, Fartussi said. He was detained for three days last month by US forces controlling Baghdad, and thousands of Shias demonstrated in the Iraqi capital to demand his release.—AFP