Christian peacemakers describe Muslim efforts to stem Iraq violence
-26/02/06
As the vi
Christian peacemakers describe Muslim efforts to stem Iraq violence
-26/02/06
As the violence in Iraq appears to have been dampened following the attack on the Shiites’ Askariya shrine in Samarra, Christian peacemakers have told how Muslims have been working together to end the bloodshed.
Pleas for unity and a third day of curfew in the city seems to have dampened sectarian violence that has pitched Iraq towards civil war. However Christian peacemakers report that Sunni and Shi’a Muslims have also been marching together in a show of solidarity and unity, as well as working together to promote peace.
Peggy Gish, whose four colleagues in Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) were abducted in November, says that many Sunni and Shi’a have been working hard together.
“The news that did not get widely circulated concerned the many actions to demonstrate and foster unity” she said.
“On Wednesday, Sunni and Shi’a marched together from the Al Mansour neighborhood to the Khadamiya district in Baghdad calling for peace.”
“In another Baghdad neighborhood Shi’a residents protected a Sunni mosque. Sistani urged Shi’a not to attack Sunni Muslims or their holy places. Shi’a leader Muqtada Sadr also called for an end to the sectarian violence and commissioned the Mehdi Army in Basra to go to the Sunni mosques to protect them.”
“Sectarian violence has the potential of causing horrendous damage to Iraqi society. We are encouraged, however by the resistance here to that, among the leaders as well as the Iraqi people.”
Some Iraqis reportedly speculate that U.S. leaders encouraged the violence in order to discredit the Jaaferi government and pave the way for installing leaders more supportive of U.S. policies.
“Many here believe that those who bombed the shrine were trying to incite more division and hatred between Shi’a and Sunni” Gish suggested.
Christian Peacemakers have maintained a continuous presence in Iraq since before the invasion and have helped to establish “Muslim peacemaker teams”.
Since the beginning of 2005 they have been helping to train and equip Muslims with peacemaking skills.
Christian peacemakers describe Muslim efforts to stem Iraq violence
-26/02/06
As the violence in Iraq appears to have been dampened following the attack on the Shiites’ Askariya shrine in Samarra, Christian peacemakers have told how Muslims have been working together to end the bloodshed.
Pleas for unity and a third day of curfew in the city seems to have dampened sectarian violence that has pitched Iraq towards civil war. However Christian peacemakers report that Sunni and Shi’a Muslims have also been marching together in a show of solidarity and unity, as well as working together to promote peace.
Peggy Gish, whose four colleagues in Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) were abducted in November, says that many Sunni and Shi’a have been working hard together.
“The news that did not get widely circulated concerned the many actions to demonstrate and foster unity” she said.
“On Wednesday, Sunni and Shi’a marched together from the Al Mansour neighborhood to the Khadamiya district in Baghdad calling for peace.”
“In another Baghdad neighborhood Shi’a residents protected a Sunni mosque. Sistani urged Shi’a not to attack Sunni Muslims or their holy places. Shi’a leader Muqtada Sadr also called for an end to the sectarian violence and commissioned the Mehdi Army in Basra to go to the Sunni mosques to protect them.”
“Sectarian violence has the potential of causing horrendous damage to Iraqi society. We are encouraged, however by the resistance here to that, among the leaders as well as the Iraqi people.”
Some Iraqis reportedly speculate that U.S. leaders encouraged the violence in order to discredit the Jaaferi government and pave the way for installing leaders more supportive of U.S. policies.
“Many here believe that those who bombed the shrine were trying to incite more division and hatred between Shi’a and Sunni” Gish suggested.
Christian Peacemakers have maintained a continuous presence in Iraq since before the invasion and have helped to establish “Muslim peacemaker teams”.
Since the beginning of 2005 they have been helping to train and equip Muslims with peacemaking skills.