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Damage to shrine triggers outcry

By Atul Aneja

MANAMA, MAY 15. The U.S. incursion into the heart of Najaf, which has resulted in slight damage to a key religious site in the city, has triggered an outcry among Shias in the region, with leaders in Iran and Lebanon taking the lead in the widening protests.

The fall-out of the fighting between the Mehdi Army loyal to the Shia cleric Moqtada Al Sadr on Friday in Najaf resulted in damage to the golden dome of the Imam Ali shrine-a symbol of Shia religious identity across the globe.

The dome appears to have been hit by small arms fire, driving four holes in the structure. A representative of Mr. Al Sadr has blamed American forces for the damage. But the U.S. military spokesperson in Iraq, Mark Kimmitt, rejected the allegation, and said that militiamen appeared to have harmed the shrine. Fighters from the Mehdi Army and U.S. forces, backed by tanks, traded fire on Friday in a sprawling cemetery, close to the Imam Ali mausoleum. Aware of the widespread impact if religious sites were targeted, a representative of the top Shia spiritual leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani urged both U.S. forces and the Mehdi army to leave Najaf.

Alarmed by the American presence in Najaf, Iran, which has a majority Shia population and exercises considerable influence among Shias beyond its borders, has issued a strong protest.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hamid Reza Asefi, said, "We are concerned at the intensification of the fighting in Iraq especially in Najaf and Karbala. The responsibility for the insecurity in Iraq falls on the occupiers, and we want the occupying forces to leave Iraq as soon as possible."

After heavy fighting on Friday, there was relative calm in Najaf. The city centre was under the control of the Mehdi Army and militiamen had replaced the force that had earlier been assigned to protect the Imam Ali shrine.

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