On June 12th, the minarets of the Al-Askariya mosque in Samarra, one of the most revered shrines of Shiite Islam, were reduced to rubble. The mosque was supposed to be one of the most carefully defended locations in Iraq due to its religious significance to Shiites and the violence that followed the bombing of its golden dome on February 22, 2006.

The Sadr Bloc in parliament is now threatening to suspend their participation in legislation in protest against the failure to rebuild and protect the Askariya shrine. The Sadrists are blaming "the hidden hand of the Occupation" for the bombing. Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani called for "self-discipline" and "refusal to target innocents in reprisal", but there appear to have been Sunni-Shiite clashes at mosques in the southern port city of Basra and some Sunni mosques were attacked elsewhere .

Read More | On The Media On The Samarra Bombing | Demonstrations in Sadr City, Basra, Kashmir. 3 Sunni Mosques Torched | Samarra Fallout | Sunni Mosque Demolished. Turks Plan Buffer Zone inside Iraq | Some Mosques Attacked, but Iraq Relatively Calm | More Sunni Mosques Bombed in Iraq | Gunmen set al-Basheer mosque on fire in Mahaweel | Attack on Iraqi Shrine Prompts Fears of Retribution | Samarra Shrine Attacked | Explosions destroy Shia shrine minarets