Terrorists Inciting Sectarian Violence in Iraq

Terrorists heavily damaged on the major Shi'ite mosques in Samarra. The Golden Dome was destroyed by a large explosion.

The golden-domed shrine housed the tombs of two revered leaders of Shiite Islam and symbolized the place where the Imam Mahdi, a mythical, messianic figure, disappeared from this earth. Believers in the imam say he will return when the apocalypse is near, to cleanse the world of its evils.

The blast took place at about 7 a.m. and shook the city of Samarra, a Sunni-dominated area that is nevertheless sacred to Shiites. The gunmen entered the shrine and handcuffed guards in the building, then set about planting the explosives, an official of the provincial governorate said. There were no immediate reports of casualties, but the golden dome was entirely destroyed, as well as three-quarters of the structure.

The purpose of the attack? To incite sectarian violence and seek civil war between the various religious factions. To his credit, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has called for calm in addition to a period of mourning and the closure of government offices. That call has been heeded thus far and Shi'ites have been peacefully demonstrating.

Omar at Iraq the Model has more.

UPDATE:
Ace notes that some Shi'ite militias have struck back at Sunni mosques. The Sunni are in a bad position - lacking numbers, weapons, and the backing of the US military. When things turn against them, who are they going to turn to in bailing them out? The US? Sorry, but the Sunni have to realize that they've made this bed and they've got to "fly right."

UPDATE:
Added photo to lede. That image, the before and after, should be yet another remind of the barbarism of not only our enemies, but the enemies of most Muslims. These barbarians have no problem destroying religious symbols - from the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan to the Golden Mosque in Samarra, which Shi'ites consider sacred ground. And they have no problem going after religious centers. What one wonders is where are the worldwide condemnations from the Muslim community for this desecration of such an important and holy site to Islam.

Outside the Beltway has a good background piece on the mosque and how the terrorists conducted their attack.

The following have also commented on the destruction of the Golden Dome mosque: Dean Esmay who points out Sistani's calming influence to keep reprisals to a minimum despite the clearly inciteful and hateful nature of the attack, Michelle Malkin has a good roundup, Bill Roggio notes the strategic implications, and Mark in Mexico.

Technorati: golden dome, samarra, sistani, bombing, civil war.