A First Hand Perspective of Baghdad After the Shrine Bombing

Mohammed at Iraq The Model has a first hand perspective on what happened in Baghdad in the early aftermath of the shrine bombing.

He points out the likely culprits behind the bombing and also identifies those that had most to gain from the reprisal attacks against the Sunnis.

It appears to Mohammed that things were a bit more organized and encouraged than they were spontaneous.

So…the protests were not spontaneous like clerics want us to think; in fact the only spontaneous protest was the one in Samarra itself!

I live here and I've seen the whole thing. The demonstrations in Baghdad began after the fatwa and I saw how shop keepers unwillingly closed their shops when the men in black with their arms and loudspeakers ordered them to do so "in the name of the Hawza" and I saw the sad look on the faces of people abandoning their only source of income for a time that could go indefinitely.

One might ask why would Iraqis obey such orders?

I say, Imagine yourself standing in front of your shop watching the police retreat from the street while angry men with arms come and order you to leave your shop and join the "spontaneous protests"! Believe me you will find no other choice but to join the mob or face the risk of being considered an infidel traitor.

I'd also like to point out the provoking language that was used in the calls for many protests. In one example I heard in person, the guy holding the mic said "today they attacked your Imam's shrine and tomorrow they will take your women, so rise up".

A very interesting read.

A hat tip to me because I found it all by myself.