Chanting âGet out of Najaf, Get out of Karbala,â about 200 Muslims protested the American occupation of Iraq on Friday with signs, as drivers honked their support along a main street in the heart of the city. The protesters in this heavily Arab suburb of Detroit said they are angry about the destruction of holy sites in Iraq and the ongoing violence against its people. âItâs about time for President Bush to admit the mistakes heâs been making,â said Imam Husham Al-Husainy, director of the Karbalaa Islamic Education Center. Husainy supported the war to oust Saddam Hussein when it started.
Just more than a year ago, Iraqis in America were cheering in the same streets when the statue of Saddam Hussein fell. Now some of the same people are calling for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops. At least four mosques participated in the protest. Husainy said the protests will continue weekly until the troops leave. âThe thing which disturbs us a lot is the humiliation of our people -- the prisoners in Abu Ghraib -- all the attacks on the holy shrines,â said Syeda Kulsoom, a 29-year-old Pakistani woman participating in the protest. Kulsoom said the only acceptable resolution would be the withdrawal of American troops. Dan Mekled, 39, of the Islamic Center of America, said the United States has âflexed a little bit too much muscle in our effort to export democracy.â |