Iraqi Sermons from June 23, 2006

The USG Open Source Center translates sermons in Iraq on 6/23/2006:

"At 0845 GMT Baghdad Satellite Channel in Arabic, reportedly sponsored by the Iraqi Islamic Party, carries a live relay of Shaykh Harith al-Ubaydi's sermon from the Sunni Al-Shawwaf Mosque in Baghdad.

In his sermon, Shaykh Harith Al-Ubaydi touches upon the issue of security. Al-Ubaydi asserts that only upright and trustworthy people should be charged with security responsibilities, adding that "those who are not trustworthy are incapable of providing others with security. Those who are unjust are incapable of providing others with justice." Al-Ubaydi also underlines the importance of retribution for the achievement of security and the elimination of crime.

Moreover, Al-Ubaydi maintains that sectarian and political tensions are the driving force behind the killings and abductions in Iraq. Al-Ubaydi asks: "Who benefits from these killings and the blood that is being spilled on the streets of Baghdad, Basra, Mosul, and Al-Anbar, as well as many other cities in Iraq?" He adds: "Who benefits from the bombing of mosques and husayniyahs? Who benefits from the bombing of churches? Who benefits from the assassination of scientists, doctors, and university professors?" Al-Ubaydi holds certain parties, "who do not wish for stability in Iraq, or who seek the benefit of their people," responsible for the atrocities committed in Iraq. Similarly, Al-Ubaydi denounces the killing of Sunni and Shiite imams and the displacement of Iraqi families."

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