Shiites gather to celebrate birthday of Imam Mahdi

Описание: (30 Sep 2004)
1. Imam Abbas shrine lit up with crowds celebrating outside
2. Crowds outside the shrine
3. Shrine lit up against dusk sky
4. Crowd of pilgrims clapping and celebrating
5. Closer shot crowd celebrating
6. Crowds of people filing past dancing
7. Closer shot people dancing in crowd
8. High shot people in crowd dancing and clapping
9. Men dancing outside shrine, man with loudspeaker
10. Shrine lit up at night with crowds outside
11. Crowds filing past shrine at night
12. Wider shot shrine lit up with crowds outside

STORYLINE

Shiite pilgrims have been streaming into the Shiite holy city of Karbala to celebrate the birthday of Imam Mahdi, their 12th and last saint.

Shiites believe Imam Mahdi went missing in northern Iraq centuries ago and will return again one day to lead them.

The event falls on the 15th of the Muslim lunar month of Shaaban.

That date that this year was on Wednesday the 29th but the celebrations will continue into Thursday.

Earlier trouble had flared briefly when police fired in the air to disperse a demonstration by followers of a radical Shiite cleric.

Thousands of supporters of the radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr marched near two Karbala shrines, chanting slogans praising their leader before police tried to disperse them.

Witnesses said chaos ensued among the masses packed into a city square and said at least 10 followers of al-Sadr were seen being handcuffed and led away by police.

But there were no reports of casualties, witnesses said.

Al-Sadr's militias have clashed in the past with police and US troops in Karbala but the city has been quiet for several months.

However, Al-Sadr's relations with Iraqi authorities continue to be tense. Last month his al-Mahdi Army fought against US and Iraqi troops in the
southern holy city of Najaf. The fighting ended in a deal brokered by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's top Shiite cleric.

Karbala is regarded as sacred by Shiites, who make up some 60 percent of Iraq's 25 million people.

It houses the gold-domed shrine of Imam Hussein, one of the sect's most revered saints and the grandson of Islam's Prophet Muhammad. Nearby is the shrine of Imam Abbas, the half-brother of Imam Hussein.

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