November, 19, 2004 - As the International Committee of the Red Cross, in an unusually bold statement, slams the "utter contempt for the most basic tenet of humanity: the obligation to protect human life and dignity" ( http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/66VK3T?OpenDoc
ument )shown by U.S. forces and by the various groups murdering hostages, we learn of yet another example of this contempt shown by U.S. troops and the new security forces of U.S.-created strongman Ayad Allawi.

American soldiers and members of the new Iraqi National Guard stormed the Abu Hanifa mosque either directly after or during prayers (reports differ), opening fire on worshippers, killing four and wounding nine.

Built on the resting place of Abu Hanifa, the "Imam Aadham" (great imam), founder of the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence, the mosque is probably the most important Sunni mosque in the country. The township that grew up around it, Aadhamiyah, takes its name from Abu Hanifa's appellation. Although mosque authorities have tried hard to be accommodating with American troops stationed in Aadhamiyah, this is not the first episode of harassment. I wrote about an earlier raid in April ( http://www.empirenotes.org/abuhanifa.html ); that one, at least, while pointless and destructive, was not done during prayer and had no fatalities.

There could hardly be a more pointed insult to the Sunni population of Iraq than to kill people there while at prayer, with "Pieces of brain ... splattered on one of the walls inside the mosque while large blood stains covered carpets in several places" and to arrest the chief imam of the mosque, Sheikh Muayid al-Aadhami.

Dahr Jamail has written an important report on the raid, based on eyewitness testimony ( http://www.uruknet.info/?p=7383 ); please read it and send it to people you know.