Independent Media Centre Ireland     http://www.indymedia.ie

US backed Shia cleric killed in Najaf

category national | miscellaneous | news report author Thursday April 10, 2003 21:20author by Maubere

Shia cleric Abdul Majid Al-Khoei was stabbed to death in Najaf today

Shia cleric Abdul Majid Al-Khoei was stabbed to death in Najaf today. According to BBC "Assailants armed with knives attacked Abdul Majid al-Khoei inside the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf - one of the holiest sites for Shia Muslims, Fadhel Milani (spokesman for the London-based al-Khoei foundation has said.
) told BBC News Online" . Al-Khoei was the son of the late Grand Ayatollah al-Khoei, spiritual leader of Iraq's Shia Muslims at the time of the 1991 Gulf War. He is listed on the US State Departments "Iraq's Voices of Freedom" website (http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/iraq/voices/voicesb.htm ). He supported the invasion of Afghanistan in 2002. (http://www.cwnews.com/Browse/2001/10/16562.htm)
The al-Khoei foundation said Mr Khoei's association with the coalition forces may have provoked the attack.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters: "The very regrettable assassination of a sheikh from Najaf - which the United States strongly condemns, and we express our sympathies to the people of Najaf over this assassination - is another reminder of how dangerous the situation is inside Iraq" .

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he was "saddened and appalled" by Mr Khoei's death.

"I met him on several occasions," he said. "He was a religious leader who embodied hope and reconciliation and who was committed to building a better future for the people of Iraq.

"I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family of Abdul Majid al-Khoei and to the al-Khoei Foundation."
Family member Jawad al-Khoei told Reuters "he was martyred by treacherous hands".

Related Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/2936887.stm

Comments (8 of 8)

Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
author by the hand that 'shocks' the cradle (of bush jr.)publication date Thu Apr 10, 2003 21:43author address author phone

taking their lead from the afghan rebels and the recent slaying of the Serbian prime minister, the iraqis have begun to assassinate western stooges.

good riddance

(don't) hate to say we told you so...

and another suicide bombing today in baghdad

author by Caspianpublication date Thu Apr 10, 2003 22:20author address author phone

Hear, hear! One less Iraqi traitor and American puppet. Who will be next? Ahmed Chalabi? Just a matter of time.

author by James McKennapublication date Thu Apr 10, 2003 22:31author address author phone


The U.S. was so eager to display the staged meeting at the shrine of Imam Ali it flew two helicopters full of journalists to the holy city of Najaf to witness it. One of the dead, Abdul Majid al-Khoei a Shiite cleric had urged cooperation with U.S. troops. The other had avised people not to resist the invasion.

But things went horribly wrong.

"People attacked and killed both of them inside the mosque," One witness said a third person was killed.

Both men were then rushed by the crowd and hacked to death with swords and knives, the witnesses said.

Isn't liberation great!

Related Link: http://www.wset.com/showstory.hrb?f=n&s=82531&f1=wor
author by Caspianpublication date Thu Apr 10, 2003 22:48author address author phone

I guess the audience weren't getting their money's worth. After all they had paid with their children's blood.
The Yanks are still providing a fantastic fireworks show. That's all that it was, wasn't it? I mean people weren't actually getting killed were they?

author by Irish Americanpublication date Fri Apr 11, 2003 01:26author address author phone

Every moderate and democratic voice must be savagely stabbed to death while they're trying to reconcile differing factions, in Iraq or elsewhere.

As General Astry said in 1936: Viva la muerte!Muera la inteligencia!

author by Anti-imperialist Americanpublication date Fri Apr 11, 2003 10:22author address author phone

'Irish American' follows the U.S. propaganda convention of referring to those who do U.S. bidding as "moderate and democratic". The word "moderate", at least, if not "democratic", has traditionally been applied by the U.S. media to every reactionary government in the Middle East that is pro-U.S. and not seriously anti-Israel.

By the way, what is it about crossing the ocean that changes freedom-loving Irish people, who know what it means to be the victims of racism, into overt or covert American White Supremacists? The phenomenon goes back to the early 19th Century, when most Irish Americans supported slavery and criticized their brethern in Ireland for opposing it. (I refer the reader to an excellent book about Irish American history, 'How the Irish Became White', by Noel Ignatiev.)

author by jeannie johnsonpublication date Fri Apr 11, 2003 12:13author address author phone

dont forget Henry ford...irish-born emigrant (sligo I think) made good, invented sweat shop factory production lines, materially supported the nazi party during the thirties, even wrote a book: 'the problem of the international jew' in which he outlined a jewish plot against civilisation and how it must be DEALT with. nice guy.

author by Irish Americanpublication date Fri Apr 11, 2003 21:12author address author phone

Of course, I'm much more American than Irish. I was born here in the USA.

There's nothing like a visit to Ireland to remind me of that, although I like what I call "neo-pagan" Ireland better than the old priest-controlled Ireland.

So, I gather you think the stabbing of Islamic scholar Majid Al-Khoi’i was a good idea, "anti-imperialist" American?



Indymedia Ireland is a media collective. We are independent volunteer citizen journalists producing and distributing the authentic voices of the people. Indymedia Ireland is an open news project where anyone can post their own news, comment, videos or photos about Ireland or related matters.