Tens of thousands of Shiite Muslims, mostly supporters of the militant group Hezbollah, turned out in Beirut Friday in a massive show meant as a strong warning to the US against attacking holy sites in Iraq.
Wearing white shrouds symbolizing their readiness to die in defense of the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala in southern Iraq, the demonstrators, estimated at more than 200,000, shouted "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" as they marched in Beirut's teeming southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold.
A protest march by about 5,000 Shiites in Bahrain led to clashes with police in which at least three people were injured by shotgun pellets and 10 treated for tear gas inhalation. Later Friday, the Bahraini king fired the interior minister over the clashes, saying the demonstration should have been allowed.
`Martyrdom'
Also Friday, a small demonstration was held outside the British Embassy in Tehran, Iran.
The Lebanon demonstration was in response to a call by Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah earlier this week for "a symbolic demonstration to tell America that we are ready for martyrdom to defend our holy places."
Nasrallah accused US forces of desecrating holy shrines in Iraq, and called on Muslims to fight to the death to defend the sanctities in Najaf and Karbala.
US soldiers have been fighting militiamen of the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in Najaf and Karbala during the past two weeks. During last weekend's fighting, the golden dome of the Iman Ali mosque in Najaf was lightly damaged, but it was not clear which side was responsible. The Imam Ali mosque is the burial place of the Prophet Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, who is revered by Shiites.
Addressing the crowd at the end of the march, Nasrallah renewed his call on the US to leave Najaf and Karbala.
"We will not abandon our religious duty. Today's march is a step on the road to defending the holy sites. Anything decided by our religious duty we will do without hesitation regardless of the sacrifices and calculations," he said.
"Let the Americans understand that those who wore shrouds today, including clerics, men, women, children and adults, did not come to show off," he said.
Ali Hassan, a 25-year-old Iraqi who joined the march, said: "I am ready to sacrifice my life for Imam Hussein. I am ready to join [al-Sadr's] Al Mahdi Army to fight against the Americans."
`Death to america'
A veiled Shiite woman, who introduced herself as Umm Mohammed, said: "Today's march is a message to America and the world that we are martyrdom lovers."
At a protest in Bahrain, police fired tear gas to disperse thousands of demonstrators, but the angry crowd broke through the police blockade and continued its march to protest the fighting in Karbala and Najaf, shouting: "Death to America!"
One group carried a banner reading: "Our shrines are our lives. Leave them alone!"
Most of the crowd was male, and many wore white shrouds.
After pushing past the security personnel, some protesters overturned a vacated police van and set it on fire.
The 3km march had been approved by security authorities but police tried to stop the demonstrators halfway through, saying the Ministry of Interior had not been informed of the march.
Ten cheetah cubs held in captivity since birth and destined for international wildlife trade markets have been rescued in Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia. They were all in stable condition despite all of them having been undernourished and limping due to being tied in captivity for months, said Laurie Marker, founder of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, which is caring for the cubs. One eight-month-old cub was unable to walk after been tied up for six months, while a five-month-old was “very malnourished [a bag of bones], with sores all over her body and full of botfly maggots which are under the
BRUSHED OFF: An ambassador to Australia previously said that Beijing does not see a reason to apologize for its naval exercises and military maneuvers in international areas China set off alarm bells in New Zealand when it dispatched powerful warships on unprecedented missions in the South Pacific without explanation, military documents showed. Beijing has spent years expanding its reach in the southern Pacific Ocean, courting island nations with new hospitals, freshly paved roads and generous offers of climate aid. However, these diplomatic efforts have increasingly been accompanied by more overt displays of military power. Three Chinese warships sailed the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand in February, the first time such a task group had been sighted in those waters. “We have never seen vessels with this capability
A Japanese city would urge all smartphone users to limit screen time to two hours a day outside work or school under a proposed ordinance that includes no penalties. The limit — which would be recommended for all residents in Toyoake City — would not be binding and there would be no penalties incurred for higher usage, the draft ordinance showed. The proposal aims “to prevent excessive use of devices causing physical and mental health issues... including sleep problems,” Mayor Masafumi Koki said yesterday. The draft urges elementary-school students to avoid smartphones after 9pm, and junior-high students and older are advised not
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) attended a grand ceremony in Lhasa yesterday during a rare visit to Tibet, where he urged “ethnic unity and religious harmony” in a region where China is accused of human rights abuses. The vast high-altitude area on the country’s western edge, established as an autonomous region in 1965 — six years after the 14th Dalai Lama fled into exile — was once a hotbed for protest against Chinese Communist Party rule. Rights groups accuse Beijing’s leaders of suppressing Tibetan culture and imposing massive surveillance, although authorities claim their policies have fostered stability and rapid economic development in
RSS