Word: sunni
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
IRAQI ELECTIONS: Embattled Sunni Muslims may sit out the vote...
...peaceful exterior hides a deepening disquiet. The Omar al-Mukhtar is a Sunni mosque, and these days, many of al-Nasseri's flock stop by his office after their daily prayers to unburden their anxieties--about the lack of jobs, the growing violence and, mostly, Iraq's political future. "Most of the conversations are about the elections," he says. "People want to know what they should do. Should they vote? Will it make any difference if they do? And who should they vote...
...first time in centuries, Iraq's Sunnis are unsure of their place in the political arena. Traditionally the country's ruling élite despite being outnumbered by Shi'ites almost 3 to 1, they face being left behind as Iraq hurtles toward general elections scheduled for January. With many Sunni areas in central and western Iraq plagued by insurgency, U.S. and Iraqi officials have expressed doubts that a credible vote can be held in Sunni areas unless U.S. forces take back the rebel-held cities. Even if U.S. troops do, the task of finding Sunnis willing to brave intimidation from...
...Most Sunnis would jump at the chance to choose. A new Iraq-wide opinion poll by the International Republican Institute found that nearly two-thirds of Sunnis intend to vote. But the elections present Sunnis with new dilemmas--and could create new nightmares for U.S. forces and their Iraqi allies. Sunni extremists are calling for a boycott of the elections and threatening reprisals against those who vote. And in the absence of Saddam Hussein's Sunni-dominated regime, there are few credible Sunni political parties to choose from. Community leaders are worried that the absence of a strong Sunni party...
...telling that the only Sunni organization with anything close to a national reach is still unsure how to approach the elections. The Association of Muslim Scholars (A.M.S.), which comprises the imams of 3,000 Sunni mosques, has spent much of the past year loudly decrying the political process on the grounds that any vote would be tainted if it were conducted during the U.S.-led occupation. The A.M.S. seemed to soften its stance last month when Abdul Salam al-Qubaisi, a high-ranking cleric, told TIME the group would confer its blessings on some candidates. "We will not be candidates...