Shiites in Lebanon and Bahrain mark Ashoura with bloody marches (GRAPHIC PHOTOS)

Shiites in Lebanon and Bahrain mark Ashoura with bloody marches
By BASSEM MROUE

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - Thousands of Shiite Muslims staged religious marches on Sunday, some slashing their heads and beating their chest to mourn the 7th century death of one of their most revered saints, Imam Hussein.

Hussein was a grandson of Islam's prophet Muhammad killed in a battle in 680 A.D., the event which led to the split in Islam between Shiites and the majority Sunnis.

The commemorations, known as Ashoura, were held in southern Lebanon and Bahrain, while Iran, the world's largest Shiite nation, marks the occassion on Monday.

In Lebanon, more than 20,000 Shiites marched in the southern town of Nabatiyeh amid tight security because of concerns about violence between two Shiite rival groups, Hezbollah and Amal.

On Saturday, at least 15 people were wounded in a fist fight between the two groups. Two more demonstrations planned for Sunday were cancelled to prevent more trouble.

Hundreds of people slashed their heads as they marched through the streets of the town. Those who collapsed were rushed to hospitals while others were treated in tents set up by civil defense units.

Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, a senior Muslim cleric, urged fellow Shiites not to slash their heads, as is tradition, but to donate the blood to the Palestinians.

In Beirut, hundreds of thousands of Shiites, all clad in black, marked Ashoura with denunciation of Israel and the United States for its support for the Jewish state.

Waving Hezbollah and Palestinian flags, they chanted "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" as they marched in the streets and narrow alleyways of Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold.

Units of barefooted Hezbollah followers beat their chests in rhythm in a show of sorrow and pain over the death of Hussein.

A huge Hezbollah banner carried by the demonstrators read, "The Islamic nation will not abandon Palestine."

In Bahrain, where Shiites make a slight majority, religious songs eulogizing Hussein and his followers were broadcast on loudspeakers as thousands of men marched down the streets, beating their chests, heads and whipping their backs with chains.

Some bare-chested men revealed bruised and bleeding skin. A large sword-wielding crowd of white-clad mourners bled lightly from cuts on their shaven heads.

This is sick. This is an insane people.

Blood streams down the backs of Shiite Muslims during a ritual of self-flagellation in Kabul, Afghanistan Sunday March 24, 2002. The ritual was performed as Shiites celebrated their holiest day, Ashura, which marks the anniversary of the death of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the prophet Muhammad. The men whip themselves with knives attached to chains to atone for Imam Hussein's death. The ritual was being performed openly for the first time since the overthrow of the Taliban, which had previously restricted the celebrations of the holy day. (AP Photo/Greg Baker)

Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim men raise their bloody swords, which they had used to beat themselves, during the ceremony of Ashoura held in Nabatiyeh village in south Lebanon, March 24, 2002. Shiite's in Lebanon commemorated the killing of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, by his rival over 1,400 years ago. REUTERS/str

A Shiite Muslim woman holds a three-year old boy whose forehead was cut during a ceremony in Nabatiyeh on Sunday March 24, 2002. Hundreds of thousands of Shiite Muslims turned out across Lebanon on Sunday to mark Ashoura, the Shiite Muslim religious festival which marks the AD 680 battle in which Imam Hussein, the grandson of Islam's Prophet Mohammed, was killed. (AP Photo)

A Lebanese Shiite Muslim hits his head with his hand to spread the blood from his self inflicted wound during a march in Nabatiyeh, Lebanon on Sunday March 24, 2002. Hundreds of thousands of Shiite Muslims turned out across Lebanon on Sunday to mark Ashoura, the Shiite Muslim religious festival which marks the AD 680 battle in which Imam Hussein, the grandson of Islam's Prophet Mohammed, was killed. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zatari)

Lebanese Shiite Muslims hit their heads with hands and swords during a march in Nabatiyeh, Lebanon on Sunday March 24, 2002. Hundreds of thousands of Shiite Muslims turned out across Lebanon on Sunday to mark Ashoura, the Shiite Muslim religious festival which marks the AD 680 battle in which Imam Hussein, the grandson of Islam's Prophet Mohammed, was killed. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zatari)

Moslem Shiite sect men beat themselves on the back with knives attached to chains as part of their religious belief in central Kandahar, Afghanistan, Sunday March 24, 2002. They beat themselves on the chest for the first 9 days of the Islamic calendar and on the 10th day they use knives and draw blood. This tenth day is the anniversary of the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of prophet Muhammad. (AP Photo/Adam Butler)

This is nothing new..Lebanon has Historically been the seat of Human mutilation and religious depravity.
For those of you who know your biblical history well this form found its zenith in what is known as Ba-al worship.
Bloodletting..child and human sacrifice....for thousands of years...

No real mystery why it continues to this day...reason..its a spiritual dynamic...adopted by adherents..rationalized into thought finds expression in present forms..such as Human Martyrdom.

Jordan was nearly overthrown by the P.L.O. and Arafat...they drove them out..they went too..guess where?
Lebanon....result..Lebanon exploded into factional violence..Arab against Arab..against Christian..Jew and against western representation.
The violent nature of the land was bolstered and manipulated by Iran..from the early 80's Hizbullah has been the proxy org of Iranian terror directed at Israel.

The Spirit of this land will manifest itself soon....Bush has some tough descisions to make...Israel will not tolerate activity from this region.
This region will not tolerate America either...a big fight is coming soon folks...like the pictures above..it will get quite graphic!

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.