One hundred thousand Shi'ites protest Iraq charter

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=6040239&cKey=1125069649000

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A hundred thousand Iraqis across the country marched on Friday in support of a maverick Shi'ite cleric opposed to a draft constitution that U.S.-backed government leaders say will deliver a brighter future.

The protest could reinforce the opposition of Sunni Arabs who dominate the insurgency and are bitterly against the draft.

Supporters of young Shi'ite firebrand Moqtada al-Sadr, who has staged two uprisings against U.S. troops, also protested against poor services during their marches, stepping up the pressure on the government.

A hundred thousand Sadr supporters marched in eight cities, including 30,000 people who gathered for a sermon delivered on his behalf in a Baghdad slum district.

[magellan]

1. al-Sadr's quite the firebrand; now supporting Sunni opposition

...
Sadr has also come out in support of Sunni opposition to the federal state that his Shi'ite rivals in government, with their Kurdish allies, have outlined in the charter.

"Bush and America out," yelled cleric Abdel-Zahra al-Suwaidid, reading a statement on Sadr's behalf in the Baghdad slum of Sadr City which is named after his revered father, a cleric allegedly killed by Saddam Hussein's agents.

Another widespread complaint was written simply on banners: "We want water, we want electricity."

Water. Electricity. So simple. The attacks on utilities didn't start until months after the occupation began. What WAS BushCo doing for Iraqis during that timeframe?

[saigon68]

11. FREEDOM IS ON THE MARCH

[0007]

23. "Let Freedom reign"

Guess who is gonna have the upper hand?

So 'ya might as well bring the troops home junior.

[saigon68]

24. The CHIMPANZEE wrote that phrase to this evil Lap Dog War criminal

[fbahrami]

22. important point: Shia's solidarity with Sunnis

works everytime: unite when there's a common enemy ("Bush & America").

How would you feel?
http://www.uexpress.com/printable/print.html?uc_full_date=20050802&uc_comic=ru

[magellan]

2. Dupe, sorry

[underpants]

3. Thousands

as reported by the US media

[rodeodance]

4. well, wish some of protesting spirt would rub off on us!

[Roland99]

5. We know what the Freeper mind-set thinks of protesters:

[VegasWolf]

7. Damn THAT is Funny!!! nt

[leftchick]

6. cnni said a few thousand

and called him radical again. I kinda like this maverick label.

[DoYouEverWonder]

8. Jeez I thought this was a dupe of the story linked below

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1729583

but it looks like everybody is rallying against this charter.

See Bush is a uniter, not a divider.

[sam sarrha]

9. i lived in a Islamic Republic.. this is never going to work out.. The word

republic is just a word to put on a map.. as far as Iraq goes

Islam=Theocracy=oligarchy=8th Century civil rights=no rights for women.

all a man has to do to get a younger wife is accuse the old one of adultery, if she has a woman for a witness.. she has to have 3-5 women to counter a mans testimony.. and if she is found guilty her witnesses suffer the same penalty as she does.. they put her in a bag and stone her to death.. everyone knows the courts are rigged so no one will testify for you..

and this crap goes on and on.. it never ends

[Roland99]

10. BTW, this is what they are protesting

http://www.conjur.com/blog/2005/08/26/full-text-of-proposed-iraqi-constitution/

[bribri16]

12. You know those crowds are "fake" just like the old days under Saddam!

:crazy:

[Roland99]

13. Not like the crowds in Saddam Square

;)

[RamboLiberal]

14. One hundred thousand Shi'ites protest Iraq charter

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1070778

hundred thousand Iraqis across the country marched on Friday in support of a maverick Shi'ite cleric opposed to a draft constitution that U.S.-backed government leaders say will deliver a brighter future.

The protest could reinforce the opposition of Sunni Arabs who dominate the insurgency and are bitterly against the draft.

Supporters of young Shi'ite firebrand Moqtada al-Sadr, who has staged two uprisings against U.S. troops, also protested against poor services during their marches, stepping up the pressure on the government.

A hundred thousand Sadr supporters marched in eight cities, including 30,000 people who gathered for a sermon delivered on his behalf in a Baghdad slum district.

They hardly noticed a huge government poster which read "One Nation, One People, One Constitution," instead seeking guidance from Sadr who inspires fierce devotion in his followers.

[soleft]

15. So....who's exactly for this thing?

:shrug:

[H5N1]

17. I suppose the Kurds like it - they think they are getting a country

[ewagner]

16. Okay...who's on first here?

I thought the Shi'ites WANT the constitution as it is and it's the Sunni who oppose it?

What's going on here? Is there a split among the Shi'ia?

[VegasWolf]

19. Certainly not Bush's "elected" puppets! nt

[VegasWolf]

18. One hundred thousand Shi'ites can't be wrong!! nt

[RamboLiberal]

20. Whoops - dupe to this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1729531

[ramapo]

21. An involved citizenry

A hundred thousand Iraqies equals how many Americans adjusting for total population?

When was the last time one hundred thousand Americans bothered to demonstrate about anything?