[xJones]

In the midst of the bleeding throngs, boys banged goatskin drums, clashed cymbals and blew horns to urge on the marchers in a ceremony banned for more than 30 years.

Kat, for all his paper-shredding ways, maybe Saddam knew those people better than us.

[dennisw]

	Iraqi Shiite Muslims hit their heads with swords during the annual ritual to mark Ashoura Day inside the Imam Hussein holy shrine in Karbala, Iraq , Tuesday March 2, 2004. Some Shiites consider the practice a testament to their devotion. To them, children, like adults, should take part in the rituals. Hundreds of thousands of Shiite Muslims from around the world are gathering with Iraqis for the Shiite religious festival which marks the battle of year 680 A.D. in which Imam Hussein, the grandson of Islam's Prophet Mohammed, was killed. During the rule of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein , such rituals were banned in Iraq.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla) AP - Mar 02 1:06 AM
	An Iraqi Shiite Muslim hits his head with a sword during the annual ritual to mark Ashoura Day in Karbala, Iraq , Tuesday March 2, 2004. Some Shiites consider the practice a testament to their devotion. To them, children, like adults, should take part in the rituals. Hundreds of thousands of Shiite Muslims from around the world are gathering with Iraqis for the Shiite religious festival which marks the battle of year 680 A.D. in which Imam Hussein, the grandson of Islam's Prophet Mohammed, was killed. During the rule of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein , such rituals were banned in Iraq.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla) AP - Mar 02 12:39 AM
	An Iraqi Shiite Muslim hits his bloodied head with his hand during the annual ritual to mark Ashoura Day in Karbala, Iraq , Tuesday March 2, 2004. Some Shiites consider the practice a testament to their devotion. To them, children, like adults, should take part in the rituals. Hundreds of thousands of Shiite Muslims from around the world are gathering with Iraqis for the Shiite religious festival which marks the battle of year 680 A.D. in which Imam Hussein, the grandson of Islam's Prophet Mohammed, was killed. During the rule of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein , such rituals were banned in Iraq.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla) AP - Mar 02 12:39 AM

[Prodigal Son]

Explosions in Bagdad and possibly Karbala as well (breaking news)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1088913/posts

[Zack Attack]

KERBALA, Iraq (Reuters) - In scenes of religious fervor, thousands of Shi'ite Muslims gashed the tops of their heads with swords Tuesday as they honored the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.

Lev 19:28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I [am] the LORD.

Deu 14:1 Ye [are] the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.

So thats what those scriptures mean.

[Salman]

bump

[Iris7]

I dunno, doesn't anybody else see that this is funny? How utterly goofy. What is really funny is those guys are taking themselves seriously! Put a bunch of them on Leno for a good laugh.

The wounds are trivial, blood loss is insignificant. Looks like about 100 milliliters in the photos I've seen. Won't even require stitches. Oh well, maybe it impresses the girls! (Bunch of real gross humor deleted!)