US spokesman: "it's difficult for us to consider this a place of prayer"

[sabra]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4850108.stm

Political storm over Iraq deaths

The US military in Iraq is facing growing political pressure over a raid on a Baghdad mosque complex that left about 20 people dead on Sunday evening.


<snip>

News footage taken after the attack seemed to belie US assertions that troops had not entered or damaged any sacred building during the raid.

The room where the killing occurred appeared to be a prayer hall. The floors are carpeted and the walls covered with religious posters.

The tape showed a tangle of male bodies and spent 5.56mm bullet casings on the blood-smeared floor - the kind of ammunition used by the US military.

"In our observation of the place and the activities that were going on, it's difficult for us to consider this a place of prayer," said US military spokesman Barry Johnson.

"It was not identified by us as a mosque, though we certainly recognised it as a community gathering centre. I think this is frankly a matter of perception," he added.

The area is a stronghold of the Mehdi Army.

[wtmusic]

1. From bad to worse nt

[Kagemusha]

5. A matter of perception shared by every Shiite in the darn country.

At least that appears to be the case from what information I've seen so far...

Spouting this just out of complete ignorance of the Shiite religion is going to just make people way more pissed off.

[maddezmom]

2. a matter of perception?

Is this the best they can do? :eyes:

[sabra]

4. the audacity.

:mad:

[Teaser]

3. It is a *Shrine* not a mosque.

That our military doesn't understand that not every holy site is a mosque is yet another testament to operation clusterfuck.

Just because it's not a mosque doesn't mean it isn't holy.

[seriousstan]

6. A site sooo holy that an abducted employee of the ministry of health

was held and beaten there for 12 hours. A "shrine" sooo sacred that they used it to cache weapons.

I LOVE this "religion of peace".

[LostinVA]

7. Islam is a religion of peace, just as Christianity is a religion of love

Just because some people have perverted the message doesn't make what the Koran or the Gospels say any less valid... and just because some people defile a scared site, their actions do not make that site any less sacred for millions of people. If someone pisses on the altar of St. patrick's that does not invalidate anything that anyone believes or feels for that site.

As you can see, I'm not a Christian nor a Muslim... I believe in religious tolerance and understanding for all, and your post, unfortunately doesn't seem to reflect that.

Go in peace, as both religions would say.

[Teaser]

8. I have no information about that and you don't either

However I do know that this was a Husseiniyya and not a mosque.

Helps to speak the language a little.

[seriousstan]

9. So people are routinely beaten in these "shrines"?