The Mosque Assault

After the attacks on different mosques in Hayy Al-Jihad area, our area became the next to witness such things.

It was exactly 7:35 pm, about half an hour before sunset when it erupted. There were two big explosions, apparently caused by RPGs (Rocket Propelled Grenades) and heavy Kalashnikov shooting was heard from the area next to the closest mosque to us (which is about 350 meters (yards) away).

From a window upstairs I saw many young men come out of their homes with Kalashnikovs in hand running towards the mosque. Later they spread all over the area so that the attackers do not seek refuge in the neighborhood alleys or even jump to the nearby homes' gardens and fight from there. Some men even parked their cars in the middle of the alleys in order to block access.

The mosque started calling: "Allahu Akbar" (= God is Great) which could be a sign of battle, and then the man holding the microphone at the mosque tried to recite some verses that condemn people who destroy the mosques of God, but the situation there was very intense and emotional so he couldn't pull himself together to do that.

Shooting continued, some shots near, some shots far, but the main battle was on the main street where the mosque is. After some 30-40 minutes, the shots started going farther away, and by the prayer time, the mosque gave instructions that everybody should pray at home, and that everyone should hold their fire (because American and Iraqi troops are supposed to deploy in the area after these incidents).

By that time, looking from a narrow window upstairs, I saw what seems to be a burning car's smoke rising about 400 meters (yards) away from where I am, and about 150 meters (yards) away from the mosque.

At around 8:30 pm, we started hearing the sounds of tanks on the main street where the mosque is. And that was also confirmed by what the neighborhood men were saying.

At 9 pm, Baghdad TV, owned by the (Sunni) Iraqi Islamic Party mentioned the attack, "done by terrorist militias", and that the neighborhood residents called on the Government to take its responsibilities, and secure the area. The same channel, however, wrote in its news ticker that the Interior Ministry's commandos also took part in this attack; but that is a bit weak, because the area under discussion is outside the Interior Ministry's operations field, and it falls under the responsibility of the US & Iraqi Army.

Baghdad TV pointed out an interesting fact, however, which is that since the beginning of the terrible events in Jihad District, no American or Iraqi army patrols were seen in our area, thus creating a security gap which probably led to today's assault.

Baghdad TV also said that many people were wounded in the area. I fear for the shopkeepers at the shop that I always shop from which is about 100 meters (yards) away from the mosque. They are very good and nice people, and I pray sincerely that neither them, nor anybody else (except the aggressors) was hurt.

Gunshots were still heard but definitely not as much, even two hours after the whole thing started, but in other farther areas of the district.

I got a phone call from a friend at the farthest side of our district, some 3 kms (2 miles) away, and he said that everybody in their area is on the alert too, and that their mosque said that there may be some events taking place tonight, probably after the attack on our mosque.

How low will the gunmen go? From bombing mosques, to bombing shops, to fake check points… and it keeps going lower and lower by the day.

While the "religious" authorities on both sides are so silent, and sometimes even villain as the Hooded Claw in Penelope Pitstop Cartoons, if you ever saw them! This blames that, and that blames this, as if they were children, and nobody talks to one another, and they just blab over satellite channels and websites… Grow up!

Wake up and stop this mess, your holy dude'ness, whoever you may be, or you would wake up one day and find no one to holify you anymore! We'll all be darn dead, you ~@#$%^&*s !



A Neighborhood Hymn

____________________

And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof thru the night that our MOSQUE was still there.



To chuckle in difficult times is a Heaven-sent blessing!