Iraq: The Muslim holy month of Ramadan began in Iraq yesterday amidst confusion, violence and the threat of increased attacks against targets associated with the American-led occupation.
It is the first time since the fall of Saddam that the 40 days of fasting has been celebrated, but there are few who will be giving thanks to the Americans for their liberation.
Yesterday Iraq's leading religious men warned that the rocket attack on the hotel housing US deputy Defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz was just the start of a campaign of violence not by Ba'ath party loyalists but angry young zealots inspired by a month of religious exaltation.
Sheikh Douhi Abdul Jalil Ibrahim, at the Abu Hanifa mosque in Baghdad, the centre of the Sunni faith from which Saddam and many of his fellow Ba'athists were drawn, said: "We are Muslims in Iraq and Ramadan is the month of Jihad. Every Muslim can see that we have invaders in our country. There are many who want to see the Americans driven out by any means."
The sheikh's views are relatively mild compared with those peddled by the smaller mosques in the impoverished suburbs of Baghdad, where mullahs wield a tremendous amount of influence and little sympathy with the American cause. One sheikh belonging to a mosque in Sadr city and who wished to remain nameless said: "Every day I have people tell me they are very angry with the Americans and wish to attack them. What can I say?"
Such sentiments jar with American efforts to persuade Iraq's restive population that they are only here to help rebuild the country. For the month of Ramadan, Baghdad's six-month long curfew has been lifted in order to enable fasters to attend the night-long prayers and eat in their mosques. Soldiers on patrol have also been ordered to only eat indoors or out of sight.
Captain Chris Danbeck of the 1st Armoured Division on guard near the mosque said: "We've had army chaplains go and tell our boys about the Muslim rites and customs. We have to respect them and keep telling them about how much better things are now than under Saddam."
The beginning of Ramadan, however, proved to be an example of exactly why many Iraqis are questioning the benefits of the US-led occupation. Under the former regime, the sighting of the new moon that heralds the start of Ramadan was announced by a government agency. This year the lack of central command has led to furious disputes between Sunni and Shia groups eager to declare to the nation the start of the holy month. A power-cut during the crucial hours also prevented an announcement from being broadcast on local television. Thousands of Iraqis were yesterday unaware that it was the first day of fasting.
Mohammed Jassim, one failed faster outside the Abu Hanifa mosque, said: "This is a very black day for me. Allah has demanded that I be fasting today. Instead I am in penance, and I blame the Americans for that."