Islamic Radicals Hunt Barbers in Baghdad

[True_Blue]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Umm Ali says militants killed her son last month for the most unlikely of reasons: He trims men's beards.

In Baghdad's Dora neighborhood, residents say Sunni Muslim extremists have made barbers the new hunted, accusing them of violating a strict reading of Islamic teachings that say men should keep their beards long.

Some extremists also consider Western-style haircuts an offensive symbol of the hated, secularized culture of Europe and the United States.

To them, sporting a clipped beard or a modern haircut is an infraction worthy of death.
more....

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=736&e=1&u=/ap/20050207/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_islamic_rules

[purduejake]

2. In Baghdad?!?!

WTF?!?! That is supposed to be our stronghold and there are a bunch of terrorists running around slaughtering people for stupid reasons?!? What in the hell is the murder rate there?

[daleo]

3. But, but...the other article said things were going great,

Since the election. I must confess to some confusion.

[Journeyman]

4. Don't worry, Rummy said this wouldn't happen. . .

so just click your heels together three times and repeat after Rummy, "There's no peace like senility. There's no peace like senility."

[NNN0LHI]

5. Islamic Radicals Hunt Barbers in Baghdad for Giving 'un-Islamic' Haircuts

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB2APHBW4E.html

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Umm Ali says militants killed her son last month for the most unlikely of reasons: He trims men's beards.

In Baghdad's Dora neighborhood, residents say Sunni Muslim extremists have made barbers the new hunted, accusing them of violating a strict reading of Islamic teachings that say men should keep their beards long.

Some extremists also consider Western-style haircuts an offensive symbol of the hated, secularized culture of Europe and the United States. snip

Dora's streets are a battleground for rebels fighting U.S. and Iraqi forces. Drive-by shootings targeting government officials are frequent. It's a symbol of the chaos that has followed Saddam Hussein's ouster nearly two years ago.

Masked, gun-totting militants freely roam its streets, issuing orders and threats and meting out punishment to those who challenge them.

more

[VegasWolf]

Sort of gives a new meaning to bad hair day. n/t

[SoCalDem]

6. Can you say... T A L I B A N ???

Formerly "secular" women are being assassinated, no longer have jobs, are covering up...parents are afraid to send their kids to school...and now this??

Maybe ole Saddam was not so bad after all.. All the "ordinary people" had to do when he was in power, was to pretend they liked him, and keep their noses clean.. They got food, electricity, water, jobs, a place to live, education etc...

Boy we certainly DID change their llives...

[anarchy1999]

7. I didn't think "Taliban", but I did think what a royal FU this has been.

I thought about Riverbend and all the other real reporting coming out of Iraq and I just cry. It overwhelms me on many days. This is all happening in our name and we are letting it. Don't stop with the damage to Iraq, let us look now here at home. It is really frightening.

I'm so sorry for us all. We have the power to change it still I believe, but time is short.

[rpannier]

8. Taliban...Hmmmm...Yes

That's about what it is. Maybe they can get start getting finances from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait like the Taliban did.
BTW: Your Presidents hat icon -- scrubbie needs a dunce cap.

[SoCalDem]

9. If I knew how, I'd add one.. I nicked this one online ages ago

1999 during the first campaign :)

[rpannier]

It's still great.

It wasn't meant as a criticism. I wasn't sure if you had made it or found it. I just thought a dunce hat (or clown hat) would have been great.

[NNN0LHI]

1. How about this hat?

[SoCalDem]

10. Hey.. I just noticed the "combine thread" feature.. Cool !!

I have a knack for posting a reply in a thread that gets locked 10 seconds later :)

[NNN0LHI]

11. That is a really nice feature

Especially for guys like me who make a lot of duplicate posts.

Don