The bombing of the shrine in Samarra put the whole of Iraq on edge, with leaders scrambling to contain the consequences Except for a few clouds gathering on the horizon, it was a clear day in Baghdad. It was a day like any other -- a day that can turn into a tragedy without notice reports Nermeen Al-Mufti. Students were heading to their schools, joking and laughing. Then, suddenly, the mood changed. The news was shocking. The mausoleum of imams Ali Al-Hadi and Hasan Al-Aaskari were bombed in Samarra, 110 kilometres north of Baghdad. The first images came on the screens and everyone prepared for the worst. The bombed mausoleum was built over 1,000 years ago. It is located in a Sunni town known for its resistance to the occupation; a town that has been punished more than once. The Shia mausoleum was under the care of the Sunnis. For centuries, it was safe. Iraqis, both Sunnis and Shias, flocked to it for blessings. Within a few hours, the mood in Baghdad was one of gloomy anticipation. Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, the country's leading Shia scholar, declared seven days of mourning and beseeched Iraqis to show their grief in a peaceful way. His plea notwithstanding, 168 Sunni mosques were attacked. Some were torched flat. Shias came to Sunni mosques and hoisted black flags on the roofs, declaring them under Shia control. Ordinary people stayed at home while men in black outfits roamed the streets. News from Al-Basra spoke of attacks on the mausoleums of Talhah Ibn Al-Zubeir and Anas Ibn Malek, two disciples of Prophet Mohamed. In Baghdad, inhabitants of Al-Aazamiya prepared to defend the Abu Hanifah mosque following news that the mosque and mausoleum of Salman Al-Farisi, a disciple of the Prophet, was attacked in Al-Madaen, 45 kilometres east of Baghdad. Shia leaders tried to calm things down. But Arab satellite stations began offering blow-by-blow reports on the attacks. The reporting was unhelpful to say the least. Fear spread despite calls for restraint by Shia and Sunni scholars. Finally, a curfew was announced and it became possible to make phone calls and find out more. On Monday, the fifth day after the bombings in Samarra, Baghdad was calm but apprehensive. Patrols of the army and the National Guard started arresting men in black outfits. Moqtada Al-Sadr, the young Shia leader, denied any involvement by his followers. Engineer Burhan Al-Mufti told Al-Ahram Weekly that the images aired on TV were disturbing. "Who is to benefit from such actions? The people who blew up the mausoleum in Samarra are the same ones who burnt Qur'ans and mosques in Baghdad and other cities. But the Iraqis, despite their pain, remain united." Ahmed Al-Samarrae, chief of the Sunni Endowment Office, was among the first people to arrive in Samarra following the bombing. "Over the last two days," he said, "a meeting was held between Al-Sadr followers and the Association of Muslim Scholars. Another meeting was arranged between Al-Sadr followers and Sunni officials. We have agreed on a code of honour according to which all attacks against mosques would stop." Abdel-Jabbar Al-Saedi, a senior aide to Moqtada Al-Sadr, said that Al-Sadr has denounced the attacks on mosques, called on the occupation forces to leave the country, and urged Sunnis and Shias to stay calm and rebuild Iraq. Ibrahim Al-Jaafari said that the heads of various political groups were in agreement that Iraq and its unity come before anything else. The government views the slain Sunnis as martyrs, Al-Jaafari added. Haj Omar Al-Rawi, who was standing in front of a Sunni mosque, didn't like what the satellite channels did. "The satellite networks have contributed to the violence. Sometimes they aired untrue news and that was like pouring oil on the flames. When they became aware of their errors, the networks started airing interviews with Sunnis, Shias and Christians. Everyone denounced the disturbances and called for the rebuilding of the mausoleum and the mosques. What happened was the doing of foreign hands trying to drive a wedge among the Iraqis." Political analyst Jinan Ali holds the occupation responsible for the attack on the mausoleum and the mosques. "The occupation has helped and is helping in the destruction of Iraq and its unity in the name of religion. Thanks to the occupation, extremists have come to this country. We have people in this country who view both Sunnis and Shias as atheistic. The extremists have come to Iraq to settle accounts with America and Bush." Jawwad Rida, a Shia, said that Sunnis were right to refrain from retaliation. "Sunnis as well as Shias are all against sedition. But there are a few on both sides who are fomenting venom for their own purposes ... I don't know where the people in black outfits came from. We should all heed Al-Sistani's call for calm." The US administration and the UK government were quick to react. The US has stopped interfering in government formation and President Bush has called Iraqi leaders and urged restraint. Jack Straw said that the Sunnis represent 20 per cent of the population and need to participate in political life. Many Sunnis and Shias are getting involved in providing protection to their neighbourhoods. It is evident, however, that there is an attempt to drive Sunni families from predominantly-Shia areas, and vice versa. I referred to this phenomenon a few weeks ago after mortar shells hit Al-Dawra in southern Baghdad, killing 15 and wounding 40. Shells fired on Al-Hurriya in western Baghdad killed five and wounded 10. Religious parties that remain outside the political process accuse occupation forces of involvement, noting that Samarra has been under siege for months. Accusations are hard to verify. What we know is that recent events have been a terrible blow to a country where things are easier forgiven than forgotten.
