Shiite Muslims hold anti-terrorism rally in Washington

Hundreds of Shiite Muslims turned a major annual spiritual ritual into an anti-terrorism rally Sunday, marching, singing and praying for hours from trendy Dupont Circle to the White House as tourists and brunch-goers rubbernecked.

Connecticut Avenue was a sea of black as Shiites mostly from the D.C. region waved banners with the name of their spiritual forefather, Imam Hussein, and pounded their chests with their fists simultaneously as an expression of mourning. His martyrdom 1,400 years ago is a major part of Shiite narrative and a defining event in the break between Shiite and Sunni Muslims, and is marked annually. A few days ago, more than 22 million Shiites and others visited the Iraqi city of Karbala in a pilgrimage to the place where Hussein died.

But this year the event twinned as a peace march. Muslims — including head-covered women, young children and hipsters with man buns on hoverboards — held signs condemning terrorism and the Islamic State and handed out hot chocolate and doughnuts in an effort to open conversations with passersby.


Some American Muslim groups and prominent U.S. Muslims have been making extra public efforts since the recent terrorism-related killings in San Bernardino, Calif., to speak against the Islamic State terrorist group, which is also known as ISIS, and radical Islamists.

“What’s happening now is we feel even more compelled to come out of our homes,” said Zehra Raza, 27, an electrical engineer from Alexandria, Va., who was at the rally with her husband.

The crowd was smaller than in past years, she and others said, because many Muslims were afraid of being harassed or targeted with violence. Such incidents have been on the rise. Many police officers were on hand, and there were no obvious protests against the rally.

When the crowd arrived at Lafayette Park across from the White House, tourists pulled out their cellphones. One group from Poland attempted in broken English to explain to a pair from Colombia what was going on.

“Some [Muslims] were afraid, but I think this is the perfect time to come out and stand with people who are oppressed. ISIS is the same as what Hussein was fighting 1,400 years ago,” Raza said.

ISIS has persecuted Shiites — among other religious minorities — in Syria and Iraq, called them infidels and killed them.


As Raza spoke, and offered strangers Krispy Kreme doughnuts, a woman from outside the group approached her to offer support and give her a hug. “God bless. Or whomever bless — the universe bless,” the woman said as she walked away.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/shia-Muslims-hold-antiterrorism-rally-in-washington/2015/12/06/03b2bf80-9c81-11e5-8728-1af6af208198_story.html?postshare=5431449522862557&tid=ss_tw

Nice to have a decent story for a change and to underscore how Muslims hate ISIS too, cos they are normally the ones being killed.

As a lot of people have said WHY do we feel the need for so-called normal Muslims to always rally or speak out after another Muslim commits an atrocity? I certainly didn't see calls for old white Christian men to rally after the Planned Parenthood murders.....its rank hypocrisy.


This is not having a go at you Sassy - I'm glad they did this but I feel like they are almost forced to do this because they are "different" and the fear based media drives the narrative.

Cass wrote:As a lot of people have said WHY do we feel the need for so-called normal Muslims to always rally or speak out after another Muslim commits an atrocity? I certainly didn't see calls for old white Christian men to rally after the Planned Parenthood murders.....its rank hypocrisy.

This is not having a go at you Sassy - I'm glad they did this but I feel like they are almost forced to do this because they are "different" and the fear based media drives the narrative.

Why should sassy complain? You make a good point.

What do you think about the President's point in his speech Sunday night, that Muslims must speak out and denounce the extremists?

Original Quill wrote:

Cass wrote:As a lot of people have said WHY do we feel the need for so-called normal Muslims to always rally or speak out after another Muslim commits an atrocity? I certainly didn't see calls for old white Christian men to rally after the Planned Parenthood murders.....its rank hypocrisy.

This is not having a go at you Sassy - I'm glad they did this but I feel like they are almost forced to do this because they are "different" and the fear based media drives the narrative.

Why should sassy complain? You make a good point.

What do you think about the President's point in his speech Sunday night, that Muslims must speak out and denounce the extremists?

I just wanted her to know I wasn't having a go at her.

As I said in another thread there were things I agreed with and things I didn't - your example being one I disliked.A lot.

Anyways I'm off. Full of cold and not feeling well. Even bread from Boudins is not making me better...sniff...hack

Goodnight

I don't know if it's a bad idea or not. It would help to create a counter-movement. Bit like the 'Just say No' campaign, but so what? I don't think they are obligated, but they might feel motivated.

Soz about your bug. Goodnite.

Cass wrote:As a lot of people have said WHY do we feel the need for so-called normal Muslims to always rally or speak out after another Muslim commits an atrocity? I certainly didn't see calls for old white Christian men to rally after the Planned Parenthood murders.....its rank hypocrisy.


This is not having a go at you Sassy - I'm glad they did this but I feel like they are almost forced to do this because they are "different" and the fear based media drives the narrative.

No offense taken, I agree with you.  I thought it was nice though that they incorporated it into a festival that they hold anyway.   I didn't see people coming out to apologise when the man shot up the abortion clinic.