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KARBALA, April 23: Huge crowds of Shias descended on Karbala on Wednesday to take part in rituals marking Arbaiin (the 40th day after the Karbala tragedy), their sheer numbers and organization signalling to Washington they will be a powerful force in Iraq.
Hundreds of thousands of Shias, many bleeding from self- inflicted wounds caused by swords and metal flails, surged through Karbala at the end of a pilgrimage marked by anti-American sentiment.
The pilgrims beat their chests, slashed their scalps with swords and whipped themselves with chains as they marked one of the most sacred days of their calendar.
Shia leaders said they estimated that around one million people had congregated to Karbala.
Many of the pilgrims demanded US troops get out of Iraq.
SHIA LEADER’S OFFER: In Tehran, Iraqi Shia leader Ayatollah Baqer al-Hakim said he was ready to work with the United States and the international community to establish security and stability in his war-torn homeland.
But the ayatollah, one of the most powerful forces among Iraq’s Shias, said the Karbala pilgrimage showed Iraqis were able to govern themselves.
Ayatollah Hakim, head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), said there was no direct parallel between Iraq and Iran.
“We cannot make a comparison between the Iraqi and the Iranian people... the characteristics of the Iraqi people are different to those of Iranian people,” he said. “We should not make a copy of the Iranian revolution and establish it in Iraq.”
According to analysts, the Karbala gathering has shown that there is widespread resentment of the American invaders.
The ability of religious figures to handle huge crowds has underscored their influence and strength in Iraq.
This has also heightened debate over how the religious leaders will use their power and whether they will try to form an Islamic government.—Reuters
