Religion and identity

So before I wrote about the Shi’a around the world and there were many responses. I would like to write some more about the Shi’a as a community. Before the Shi’a were persecuted for being Shi’a. They were told that they were not Iraqi, not Arab, and did not belong in Iraq, where the majority of people are Shi’ite. Even if you did not care that much about your sect of Islam, you would be aware of it when you were told that you were an enemy because of your sect. Even if you did not pray, you would know about the shrines and probably be very angry to see the shrines attacked and see the bastard followers of Saddam sit on a tank with Saddam picture in front of the shrine in Karbala, which was attacked and damaged by them!

Many people who are Shi’ite today know that they have always been Shi’ite and their parents were also. Maybe they do not know or care about what happened in the seventh century about why Imam Ali was better than Abu Bakr, but just know that being Shi’ite is part of their identity. After so many years of death and persecution, now the Shi’a in Iraq can tell the world who they are, and that is what they do and will do. That is why you see marches on certain days and also that is why some people will vote for the United Iraqi Alliance even if they are not very religious. It is saying, “We are Shi’ite and we are not dead. We will now make our own future after Saddam.” I am not talking about religious ideas or what is best, just the way people think about their identity.