Iraqi Sunni who died saving Shiites brings hope

[alonzomourning23]

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Reuters) -- In the aftermath of Baghdad's bridge stampede that claimed more than a thousand lives last week, an unlikely hero has risen as a symbol of Iraqi unity at a time of sectarian tension.

Uthman al-Ubaidi, a 19-year-old Sunni, jumped into the river Tigris where dozens of pilgrims from the rival Muslim Shiite sect were drowning in the murky waters after being forced off the bridge overhead.

He rescued six people from the brink of death. When he went back for a seventh, his strength failed him and he never returned.

After heavy media coverage, the young man from Aadhamiya -- a Sunni district across the river from Kadhamiya, the site of a major Shiite mosque -- has become a household name, and a rallying call for Iraqi reconciliation.

Dozens of posters of him are plastered on walls across his district. His image sits in front of two main mosques, one Shiite and one Sunni.

Shiites blame Sunnis for firing rockets at Shiite pilgrims during a religious march and then spreading rumors of a suicide bomber, triggering a stampede which killed 1,005 people.

But Ubaidi's family hopes his death can bring Iraq's fractious communities together.

Ali al-Ubaidi, the boy's father who accepted condolences from a flurry of visitors, sobbed as he stood in Uthman's bedroom next to a bed now covered with flowers.

"I am really proud of my only son," he told Reuters. "At first I was distraught but when I heard he drowned after rescuing so many people it eased the pain."

"The sectarian conspiracy has ended, Uthman was the one who put out the fire," he said in an optimistic tone.

Sympathy and financial assistance have been offered to the family. One female member of parliament from the Shiite Dawa party offered some $7,000 to his family, and Iraq's Health Ministry has put him on its monthly retirement payroll.

Najla Mohammed, Uthman's mother, said he was studying for a Maths exam when he left the house because of calls for help.

She said her son loathed the sectarian killings rampant over the past two years since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

"All of his friends were Shiites, it was his dream that Iraqis should be united regardless of their sect," she said.

Sheikh Mu'ayad al-Aadhami, a preacher at the Sunni Abu Hanifa mosque near the bridge who called for people to help Shiites, said Uthman and other Sunnis were a source of pride for all Iraqis.

"Uthman was one of those who responded to our call, he paid the price for helping to save his brothers. Their souls all went to heaven together," he said.

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/09/06/iraq.stampede.reut/index.html

 

[U2K Tha Greate$t]

All of his friends were Shiites, it was his dream that Iraqis should be united regardless of their sect," she said

Um, ok. Like they are so much different then each other. The world is blinded by thier own reality, what a shame. Not understanding, that we all are the same in appearance and in spirit.

 

[alonzomourning23]

[quote name='U2K Tha Greate$t']All of his friends were Shiites, it was his dream that Iraqis should be united regardless of their sect," she said

Um, ok. Like they are so much different then each other. The world is blinded by thier own reality, what a shame. Not understanding, that we all are the same in appearance and in spirit.[/QUOTE]

Well, and I'm way over simplifying, it can be considered somewhat similar to protestants and catholics. Though, I am struggling to understand what you even said.

 

[PittsburghAfterDark]

You aren't going to find any case of Christian sectarian violence in the world that is similar to the abject hatred many Sunni's and Shia's have for one another.

The closest you can come is in Ireland but that has as much to do with forced political division if not more than religion. Even that armed conflict seems to be relegated to the history books.

The Sunni and Shia split is so perverse it's unfathomable for most Westerners and non-Muslims to comprehend. Bottom line is Mohammed had more than one wife and each wife had a child that was supposedly the "legitimate" heir to his succession and power. The supporters of one child/wife became Sunni, the other's became Shia. Since then they both maintain a historical line to Mohammed and will kill to prove they're correct and rightful heirs to the religous line of purity.

The Sunni Shia split was not like the Catholic/Orthodox split or like the Protestant reformation; the first being mostly over power, politics and geography and the second over egregious abuses. The split is on bloodlines alone.

None of us can fully explain, appreciate or comprehend the differences and it's next to impossible to come up with a widely known Western example.

 

[alonzomourning23]

[quote name='PittsburghAfterDark']You aren't going to find any case of Christian sectarian violence in the world that is similar to the abject hatred many Sunni's and Shia's have for one another.

The closest you can come is in Ireland but that has as much to do with forced political division if not more than religion. Even that armed conflict seems to be relegated to the history books.

The Sunni and Shia split is so perverse it's unfathomable for most Westerners and non-Muslims to comprehend. Bottom line is Mohammed had more than one wife and each wife had a child that was supposedly the "legitimate" heir to his succession and power. The supporters of one child/wife became Sunni, the other's became Shia. Since then they both maintain a historical line to Mohammed and will kill to prove they're correct and rightful heirs to the religous line of purity.

The Sunni Shia split was not like the Catholic/Orthodox split or like the Protestant reformation; the first being mostly over power, politics and geography and the second over egregious abuses. The split is on bloodlines alone.

None of us can fully explain, appreciate or comprehend the differences and it's next to impossible to come up with a widely known Western example.[/QUOTE]

I don't get why you bothered arguing a point when I said it was way over simplified. It looks like you just wanted a fight.

Though, while I completely reject your opinion on the split, I will say you got it wrong. Shia believed leadership should have stayed within the family, or in the hands of those appointed by muhammad or god. They believe his cousin ali was successor.

Sunnis believed the person most qualified should be elected, and a close friend of his was appointed. I forget his name.

The Sunni Shia split was not like the Catholic/Orthodox split or like the Protestant reformation; the first being mostly over power, politics and geography and the second over egregious abuses. The split is on bloodlines alone.

I think this shows extreme bias against a religion you are not a part of. I also assume you are protestant, not so much due to the attack on the church, but the justification of the christian split and the villification and belittlement of the split in islam.

edit: This gives a quick outline http://islam.about.com/cs/divisions/f/shia_sunni.htm

 

[mykevermin]

[quote name='PittsburghAfterDark']Even that armed conflict seems to be relegated to the history books.[/QUOTE]

 

[U2K Tha Greate$t]

What i'm trying to say is, we all are the same in the flesh and in the spirit. People say we are different, but i laugh at things like that.