Protests as US raids Sunni mosque in Iraq hostage search
-11/01/06
US forces in Iraq h
Protests as US raids Sunni mosque in Iraq hostage search
-11/01/06
US forces in Iraq have outraged Sunni Muslims and others advocating the release of detainees and hostages by raiding a mosque in Baghdad, in response to a tip-off about kidnapped Christian Science Monitor journalist Jill Carroll.
Hundreds of people demonstrated outside the site against the operation, in which six people were arrested.
A US army spokesperson said the action was carried out after the receipt of information linked to efforts to free Ms Carroll.
The freelance journalist was seized on Saturday by gunmen in Baghdad’s western Adel district. Her translator was killed. She was travelling to meet a prominent Sunni politician in the neighbourhood.
US spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Barry Johnson said the raid was ordered “as a direct result of a tip by an Iraqi civilian that activities related to the kidnapping were being carried out inside the mosque”.
But Sunni Muslims and those working for the release of other captives, including the four Christian peace workers seized in November, are horrified by the apparent insensitivity of the strong arm tactics.
ìYou would think that they would realize what kind of wider impact such a raid is likely to have,î a commentator told Ekklesia.
Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), a pacifist organization which has campaigned on behalf of illegal detainee of the coalition forces occupying Iraq, has made it clear that it is against the use of violence to release Norman Kember, Tom Fox, Jim Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden.
The Sunni Committee of Muslim Scholars which is based at the mosque has joined past appeals for the release of the CPT four, along with the main Sunni political party.
The SCMS confirmed that one of its members and five mosque guards were arrested in the US raid.
The committee has accused American soldiers of desecrating the mosque and carrying away files containing the names of members.
“The attack on the Umm al-Qura mosque is an attack on Muslims and Islam,” read a banner at the demonstration.
But the US spokesperson said that they had an obligation to follow up tip-offs which could result in the arrest of people involved in abductions and those who could identify the whereabouts of Ms Carroll.
“Both Iraqi and coalition forces raided the mosque in the early morning hours in order to minimise the impact on worshippers and the surrounding neighbourhood,” declared Lieutenant Colonel Johnson.
Meanwhile, Shiite and Sunni Arabs celebrated the beginning of an important Islamic feast with appeals for an end to the bloodshed that has wracked Iraq since last month’s elections.
There were also renewed calls for the withdrawal of US troops from the country.
In a day with no violence reported, Iraqis nationwide celebrated the opening of the four-day Eid al-Adha celebration with food, sweets and visits to relatives. Lambs were slaughtered and food was distributed to the poor.
[Also on Ekklesia: Regular updates – FaithInSociety weblog; News – Australian Muslim seeks freedom for Christian Peacemakers 11/01/06; Iraqi search for kidnapped Christian Science Monitor reporter 11/01/06 Muslim envoy may return to Iraq for CPT four 08/01/06; Release of French engineer brings Iraq hostage hope 08/01/06; Journalist kidnapped in Iraq as friends pray for peace workers 07/01/06; Anti-war MP takes politics and religion into Big Brother 06/01/06; Birmingham inter-faith vigil for Kember and Iraq peace workers 06/01/06; Norman Kember’s wife in new TV appeal to Iraq captors 06/01/06; New London vigil for Norman Kember announced 04/01/06; Christian Peacemaker Teams seek meeting with President Bush 04/01/06, includes complete index of related articles on this site]
Protests as US raids Sunni mosque in Iraq hostage search
-11/01/06
US forces in Iraq have outraged Sunni Muslims and others advocating the release of detainees and hostages by raiding a mosque in Baghdad, in response to a tip-off about kidnapped Christian Science Monitor journalist Jill Carroll.
Hundreds of people demonstrated outside the site against the operation, in which six people were arrested.
A US army spokesperson said the action was carried out after the receipt of information linked to efforts to free Ms Carroll.
The freelance journalist was seized on Saturday by gunmen in Baghdad’s western Adel district. Her translator was killed. She was travelling to meet a prominent Sunni politician in the neighbourhood.
US spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Barry Johnson said the raid was ordered “as a direct result of a tip by an Iraqi civilian that activities related to the kidnapping were being carried out inside the mosque”.
But Sunni Muslims and those working for the release of other captives, including the four Christian peace workers seized in November, are horrified by the apparent insensitivity of the strong arm tactics.
‘You would think that they would realize what kind of wider impact such a raid is likely to have,’ a commentator told Ekklesia.
Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), a pacifist organization which has campaigned on behalf of illegal detainee of the coalition forces occupying Iraq, has made it clear that it is against the use of violence to release Norman Kember, Tom Fox, Jim Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden.
The Sunni Committee of Muslim Scholars which is based at the mosque has joined past appeals for the release of the CPT four, along with the main Sunni political party.
The SCMS confirmed that one of its members and five mosque guards were arrested in the US raid.
The committee has accused American soldiers of desecrating the mosque and carrying away files containing the names of members.
“The attack on the Umm al-Qura mosque is an attack on Muslims and Islam,” read a banner at the demonstration.
But the US spokesperson said that they had an obligation to follow up tip-offs which could result in the arrest of people involved in abductions and those who could identify the whereabouts of Ms Carroll.
“Both Iraqi and coalition forces raided the mosque in the early morning hours in order to minimise the impact on worshippers and the surrounding neighbourhood,” declared Lieutenant Colonel Johnson.
Meanwhile, Shiite and Sunni Arabs celebrated the beginning of an important Islamic feast with appeals for an end to the bloodshed that has wracked Iraq since last month’s elections.
There were also renewed calls for the withdrawal of US troops from the country.
In a day with no violence reported, Iraqis nationwide celebrated the opening of the four-day Eid al-Adha celebration with food, sweets and visits to relatives. Lambs were slaughtered and food was distributed to the poor.
[Also on Ekklesia: Regular updates – FaithInSociety weblog; News – Australian Muslim seeks freedom for Christian Peacemakers 11/01/06; Iraqi search for kidnapped Christian Science Monitor reporter 11/01/06 Muslim envoy may return to Iraq for CPT four 08/01/06; Release of French engineer brings Iraq hostage hope 08/01/06; Journalist kidnapped in Iraq as friends pray for peace workers 07/01/06; Anti-war MP takes politics and religion into Big Brother 06/01/06; Birmingham inter-faith vigil for Kember and Iraq peace workers 06/01/06; Norman Kember’s wife in new TV appeal to Iraq captors 06/01/06; New London vigil for Norman Kember announced 04/01/06; Christian Peacemaker Teams seek meeting with President Bush 04/01/06, includes complete index of related articles on this site]