The USG Open Source Center translates Iraqi television's roundup of Friday sermons on 16 June.
"Iraqi Television: Roundup of Friday Sermons 16 Jun
Iraq -- OSC Report
Monday, June 19, 2006 T17:09:10ZDocument Type: OSC Report
At 0845 GMT Baghdad Satellite Channel in Arabic, reportedly sponsored by the Iraqi Islamic Party, carries a live relay of Shaykh Jamal Abd-al-Rahman's sermon from the (Sunni) Dhi al-Nurayn Mosque, which mainly focuses on religious matters.
Within its 1700 GMT newscast, Baghdad Al-Furat in Arabic, a television station affiliated with the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), cites the representative of Grand Ayatollah Al-Sistani, Shaykh Abd-al-Mahdi al-Karbala'i, imam and preacher of Al-Husayn Mosque in Karbala, as denouncing the "suicide attack" on (Shiite) Buratha Mosque in Baghdad, which had left dozens of worshippers "martyred" and "wounded."
The channel cites Al-Karbala'i as saying that "terrorists" and "takfiri criminals" have added yet another "black day to their dark past." Moreover Al-Karbala'i holds the US forces responsible for the deteriorating security in Iraq, adding that the "US forces" are obliged by law to take all the necessary measures to ensure the security and stability of Iraq.
Furthermore, the channel carries a report on the attack on Buratha Mosque, indicating that "a devil detonated himself before Shaykh Al-Saghir had ascended his pulpit to preach to the worshippers."
On the same subject, the channel cites Al-Sayid Muhammad al-Haydari, imam and preacher of the (Shiite) Al-Khillani Mosque, as saying: "what do they want from us? Do they want us to stop praying? Do they want us to abandon our mosques and our Husayniyahs? Do they want to stop us from practicing our religion? By God we will never do that."
Additionally, Al-Furat reports that Al-Sayid Sadr-al-Din al-Qubbanji, imam and preacher of Al-Husayniyah Al-Fatimiyah Mosque in Al-Najaf touched on the political process in Iraq and the problems facing the Iraqi Government, asserting that restoring security is the government's number one priority.
On the release of Iraqi prisoners," Al-Qubbanji asks: "Is it logical, legal, or sensible to release (prisoners) in the name of national reconciliation?" Al-Qubbanji adds that there is no harm in releasing those who were not proven guilty, "but what about those who killed hundreds and hundreds in attacks? What do we tell the families (of the victims)?"
Moreover, the channel reports that unlike other sermons delivered in (Sunni) Al-Kilani Mosque, which usually denounce attacks on mosques, today's sermon focused only on religious matters, adding that Shaykh Anas al-Isawi may have not been aware of the attack on Buratha Mosque.
Al-Furat reporter asserts that the growing influence of Friday sermons on the Iraqi people has created animosity toward mosques and made Friday imams, who denounce terrorist operations, targets for such acts.
At 1925 GMT, Al-Furat carries a program titled "Excerpts from Friday Sermons." Al-Sayid Muhammad al-Haydari, imam and preacher of the (Shiite) Al-Khillani Mosque, touches upon the bombing of the Buratha Mosque, while expressing defiance toward the perpetrators of such attacks. Al-Haydari says: "They falsely believe that by doing so, they will detract us, our nation, and the followers of Prophet Muhammad's household from the ? path and our commitment to Prophet Muhammad's household." He adds: "We will continue to fight terrorism, oppression, and corruption."
Al-Haydari also touches upon the "critical issue" of displacement, indicating that the number of displaced families has reached 20,000 families.
Al-Haydari also commends the Iraqi Government and the Unified Iraqi Coalition (UIC) for taking the initiative to achieve national reconciliation by releasing prisoners, despite the ongoing killings and displacement of families.
Furthermore, Al-Haydari asserts that documents seized with terrorists reveal schemes to ignite sectarian strife between Sunnis and Shiites, as well as plans to pit Arabs, Turkomans, and Kurds against each other, especially in the area of Kirkuk. Moreover, Al-Haydari points out that there are plans to create tension within Shiite institutions, namely the Al-Sadr Movement and other Shiite institutions.
The channel also cites Al-Sayid Sadr-al-Din al-Qubbanji, imam and preacher of Al-Husayniyah Al-Fatimiyah Mosque in Al-Najaf, as criticizing the Iraqi Government for randomly releasing "2,500 terrorists in less than 24 hours." He goes on to say that the Iraqi Government should have postponed the release of the "terrorists" and any actions toward national reconciliation until the armed groups have demonstrated good will by halting terrorist operations for at least one month. Moreover, Al-Qubbanji reiterates that prisoners should be released in accordance with all legal procedures and after investigations have taken their course to ensure that no "terrorists who had committed massacres" are released.
In addition, the channel cites (Sunni) Shaykh Ahmad al-Mulla from Basra, as calling on Sunni leaders "to assume the responsibility of revealing the hotbeds of terrorism, especially after the source of sedition in Iraq was eliminated." He goes on say that Arabs, "who brought us nothing but evil," have hastened to find a successor to Al-Zarqawi, in order to deepen the divide among the Iraqi people. Shaykh Al-Mulla renews his calls to the Sunni leaders to take a firm stand against terrorism and expose all "criminals" and "Takfiris," who seek to destroy the unity of Iraq.
Within its 1600 GMT newscast, Baghdad Al-Iraqiyah Television in Arabic -- government-sponsored television station, run by Iraqi Media Network -- reports that the representative of Grand Ayatollah Al-Sistani, Shaykh Abd-al-Mahdi al-Karbala'i, imam and preacher of Al-Husayn Mosque in Karbala, denounced the terrorist attack on Buratha Mosque.
Additionally, the channel cites Shaykh Anas al-Isawi, imam and preacher of the (Sunni) Al-Kilani Mosque, as calling on government officials to take serious action toward providing Iraqis with services and restoring security. Al-Isawi asks: "what happened to the promises you made to the Iraqi people?" What happened to your glorious slogans?"
Moreover, the channel reports that Shaykh Abd-al-Mahdi al-Karbala'i, imam and preacher of Al-Husayn Mosque in Karbala, focused in his sermon on the arrest of the head of the Karbala Governorate Council. The channel reports that Al-Karbala'i underscored the need for "occupation forces" to desist from all actions that stir up tension in Iraq, especially in relatively stable cities.
Within its 1530 GMT newscast Baghdad Al-Diyar television in Arabic -- independent, private news and entertainment channel, run by Faysal al-Yasiri, Iraqi media figure -- reports that Friday preachers in Baghdad called on the Iraqi government "to put its slogans into effect, by working toward eliminating violence, administrative corruption, and the ongoing chaos."
The channel cites Al-Sayid Muhammad al-Haydari, imam and preacher of the (Shiite) Al-Khillani Mosque, as calling on the government to devise a comprehensive plan to combat violence and corruption.
Furthermore, the channel cites Shaykh Anas al-Isawi, imam and preacher of the (Sunni) Al-Kilani Mosque, as calling on government officials to leave the "Green Zone" in order "to see the streets of Iraq, which have become red with the blood of Iraqis." Additionally, the channel cites al-Isawi as calling on the government to work toward ending the chaos in Iraq, and to provide the Iraqi people with services, electricity, and security.
Al-Isawi is also cited as saying: "Their (US forces) crimes have become obvious to all; massacres in Hadithah, disasters in Abu-Ghurayb, and killings in Samarra. These are the crimes that we know about, but more vile and vicious crimes are yet to be revealed."
Within its 1800 GMT newscast, Al-Baghdadiyah Television, a Cairo-based Iraqi channel known for its opposition to the "US occupation" in Iraq, reports that Friday preachers denounced all acts of violence, bombings, and abductions, targeting civilians. They also denounced all acts that seek to weaken the fabric of Iraqi society.
The channel cites Al-Sayid Muhammad al-Haydari, imam and preacher of the (Shiite) Al-Khillani Mosque as saying that: "There is a scheme to ignite sectarian strife -- strife between Sunnis and Shiites. They devised plans and they listed methods of fueling sectarian tension."
Within its 1800 GMT newscast, Baghdad Al-Sharqiyah Television in Arabic -- Independent, private news and entertainment channel focusing on Iraq, run by Sa'd al-Bazzaz, publisher of the Arabic-language daily Al-Zaman, reports that a suicide bomber blew himself up in Buratha Mosque, shortly before the Friday preacher ascended the pulpit.
The channel cites Shaykh Jalal al-Din-al-Saghir, imam and preacher of the Buratha Mosque, as saying that explosives were planted in two pairs of shoes, one of which was electronically detected. Al-Saghir adds that the suicide bomber detonated himself as soon as he was approached by a security officer, who was conducting a search for the other pair.
Al-Saghir holds Al-Qa'ida responsible for the suicide attack, indicating that Al-Qa'ida launched a "campaign of lies" against his person.
Moreover the channel cites the representative of Grand Ayatollah Al-Sistani, Shaykh Abd-al-Mahdi al-Karbala'i, imam and preacher of Al-Husayn Mosque in Karbala, as denouncing the "suicide attack" on Buratha Mosque.'