Shiites torch US flag in Baghdad

Source: AFP

BAGHDAD (AFP) — People torched a US flag in Baghdad's Shiite stronghold of Sadr City after weekly Friday prayers to denounce a proposed agreement to deploy American troops in the country beyond 2008.

The protesters also set on fire an effigy of US President George W. Bush and vowed alliegance to anti-US Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, as Iraqi troops watched from rooftops, an AFP correspondent said.

Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki agreed in principle in November to sign the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) by the end of July, but negotiations appear to have hit a snag.

...

"As long as Moqtada Sadr rejects the agreement, it will not be signed" by the government, Batat told worshippers. A banner read: "The agreement with the Americans is an act of war against the Iraqi people."

Read more: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jSfjDFq2pxoj4EKioEV3Egq5BVFA

Jum'a prayers are the biggy, where lovers of peace and tolerance on the day of rest and worship inflame the true supporters of a kind and benevolent Allah to go out and riot, burn flags, protest, threaten, and otherwise make sure that everyone knows to consider them best and pure and peace-loving, models of emulation, or else.

In this case, imams are pushing for unity and tolerance and peace--unity behind Sadr and his ideology, tolerance of Sadr and his supporters, and peace as the consequence if they get their way and the "gates of hell" (meaning, apparently, Sadrist mosque doors) opening to pacify their opponents--make them peaceful--otherwise.

Remember, "Islam" has the word "salaam" in it, so it has to be peaceful. Then again, "pacify" as the word "pax" in it, so it must also be peaceful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGAzfZR6gUg

of course, what would happen if they burned an Iraqi flag ?





Flag Burning Australia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5A1me6mFgo



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaJxN9FSJVw&feature=related



on edit;
Behold a
Turkish flag burning ! ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27dg2enBDCI&feature=related

as opposed to yesterday, the day before, etc

I can't find a pic of the "insulting abomination statue" built by Saddam but any way;

Baghdad to remove anti-Iran statue
TEHRAN (FNA)- Baghdad's Mayor has announced a decision to remove a Saddam-era monument which once symbolized the animosity between Iran and Iraq.





Mayor Saber al-Essawi said the city hall is to replace the 'monument of hatred' with a sign that would reflect 'coexistence'.

The statue in Baghdad's Bab al-Moazzam district depicts a group of Iraqi fighters standing on a tank and aiming their guns towards Iraq's eastern neighbor, Iran, press tv said.

Interpreted by many as a symbol of Saddam Hussein's hostility against the Iranians, the monument will be replaced by a new structure which will portray peaceful coexistence between the two countries.

The conflict between Iran and Iraq, which Iranians refer to as the Imposed War, was initiated by Saddam Hussein in September 1980 and lasted until August 1988.

The fighting included the use of chemical weapons by Saddam's forces against both Iranian soldiers and civilians and Iraq's own citizens in Iraqi Kurdistan, where more than 5,000 were killed in one such attack in the city of Halabja.


http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8703180521

a coincidence Maliki happens to be in Iran to discuss "issues" of unrest ?
;)

just another story to be ignored,move along,no symbolism to see here.