The Askariyya bombing

I’m dumbstruck by the nihilism and cruelty of the bombing of the Askariyya shrine in Samarra in Iraq.  Godless savagery like this is a reminder that, contrary to all the simplistic us-vs.-them rhetoric that is a staple in some Muslim circles, some of the greatest "kafirs" (infidels) are actually Muslims.  May they get what they deserve in this life and the next.

The Quran explicitly protects mosques and even synagogues and churches because they are places where, it says, God’s name is remembered, yet these monsters not only attacked a mosque, but one of the most revered shrines of Shiah Islam.  (The greatest of ironies is that while these people will be labeled "jihadis", the Quran actually enjoins jihad to protect places of worship.  Without getting sidetracked on the important types of jihad–i.e., Greater Jihad (mastery of the self) vs. Lesser Jihad (military struggle to end injustice) distinction–the true mujahideen in this case would not be those laying the bombs but rather those rising up to stop these criminals.)

The Washington Post has a surprisingly thoughtful piece on this tragedy and its psychological impact, especially for Shiahs. [HT: Sohan]

This gets me angry in new ways and to the rarest of heights.