A court certified October’s parliamentary vote that gave Muqtada al-Sadr’s party a plurality of seats, clearing a path for a government to be formed.
Tag: Shiite Muslims
The String of ISIS Attacks That Killed Three Generations of One Afghan Family
Over two weeks, the Rajabis suffered loss after loss as suicide attacks on Shiite mosques in two parts of the country ravaged their family.
Iran Wanted U.S. Out of Afghanistan. It May Be Sorry the Wish Came True.
Iran is glad the Americans are gone, but the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan creates a host of problems for Tehran, with no easy solutions.
After Iraqi Election, a Shiite Leader Emerges as an Unlikely U.S. Ally
The U.S. once threatened to kill Muqtada al-Sadr as his militia battled occupying forces. Now, the powerful cleric is helping Washington by keeping Iran at bay.
Beirut, a City Where Everyone Gets By, Revisits Sectarian Violence
Lebanon’s capital thrives on its religious diversity, but sectarian tensions and memories of civil war lurk just beneath the surface.
Deadly Clashes in Beirut Escalate Fears Over Lebanon’s Dysfunction
The fighting further traumatized the small Mediterranean country, a patchwork of sects that has tumbled into an abyss of devastating political and economic crises.
Iran-Backed Militias Battle Activists in a Holy Iraqi City
Militia violence has driven antigovernment protesters underground and shaken Karbala, a city of gold-domed Shiite shrines.
Foes in Afghan War See a Common Threat of Islamic State’s Return
An unusual truce between the government and the Taliban has kept the Islamic State out of one former stronghold. But there is a peace paradox: Unemployed fighters looking for work.
Pope Francis Meets Iraq’s Top Ayatollah as Both Urge Peace
The meeting with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani came as Francis sought to protect his persecuted flock in Iraq by forging closer bonds between the Roman Catholic Church and the Muslim world.
In Iraq’s Christian Heartland, a Feud Over a Town’s Identity
Pope Francis will arrive in a country whose ancient Christian towns are in danger of disappearing. In one, a Christian community’s survival may come at the expense of another minority group.