Shiites and Sunnis hold joint prayer in Baghdad

by GottaDash Wed Jul 09, 2008 10:42 am

KARBALA, July 9 (VOI) - A Shiite Shrine official on Wednesday said a delegation of Karbala clerics and tribal chieftains held a prayer with Sunnis in Baghdad in a bid of sectarian unity after two years of revenge killings between the two denominations.
"The delegation met an invitation, sent by the Sunni endowments chief, to visit Baghdad," a Shiite spokesman from al-Hussein shrine's administration, who requested anonymity, told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).
The spokesman noted "the two sides held a joint prayer led by Sunni endowments chief, Abdel Ghafour al-Samarrai."
"The two agreed to renounce killing and displacing operations carried out by groups claiming affiliation to Sunnis and/or Shiites," he added.
In February 2006, Iraq witnessed rising sectarian killings and displacing operations that stripped thousands of their houses and properties after Shiite shrines in Samarra were bombed.
The spokesman pointed out "Karbala's delegation included 85 figures comprised of clerics, tribal chieftains and provincial officials."
Earlier, 40 spokesmen from the predominantly Sunni district of Adhamiya visited Karbala for two days in April in response to an invitation sent by the Shiite province clerics.
Karbala, the capital city of Karbala province and the second holiest Shiite province after Najaf, lies 108 km south of Baghdad.

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