September 2, 2005
Iraqi Stampede
:Nearly a thousand people died on Wednesday when a stampede occurred due to a fear of a suicide bomber on a Baghdad bridge. Shiite worshipers were on a bridge to the Kadhim mosque in Baghdad. Moussa al Kadhim was a 9th Century descendant of the prophet Mohammad, which for the Shiites meant his line was the rightful leader of Islam. He was killed by a group of Sunnis, which continues to fuel hatred and religious strife to this day as it ended the prophet’s line of successors. Fears of suicide bombers led to a mass stampede with people jumping into the Tigris River or walking on each other. Nearby Sunnis rushed to the rescue of the Shiite worshipers, many dying trying to save those that had jumped in the river. It was the singles biggest disaster in Iraq since the American invasion began.
On September 4th, 2005 at 11:24 am , Ben Paarmann argued that:
[…] Iraq Robert Mayer at Publius Pundit has a great post on Iraqi unity amidst the federal constitution. Some people remain optimists regarding the October 15 vote, finds the Internet Freedom Trail. Nearly 1,000 people died in a stampede, in Baghdad this week, overshadowing all political discussions. […]