Iraqi PM Visits Shrines of Imams Musa al-Kadhim, Abu Hanifa

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi visits the shrines of Imams Musa al-Kadhim and Abu Hanifa in Baghdad. (PM's media office)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi visits the shrines of Imams Musa al-Kadhim and Abu Hanifa in Baghdad. (PM's media office)
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Iraqi PM Visits Shrines of Imams Musa al-Kadhim, Abu Hanifa

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi visits the shrines of Imams Musa al-Kadhim and Abu Hanifa in Baghdad. (PM's media office)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi visits the shrines of Imams Musa al-Kadhim and Abu Hanifa in Baghdad. (PM's media office)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi paid a visit on Tuesday to the shrines of Imams Musa al-Kadhim and Abu Hanifa in Baghdad.

The visits are part of “soft” diplomatic and local moves Kadhimi is making to gain the trust of citizens in his government, three months after he was appointed to his position.

A previous move was his reception of a number of Yazidis on the sixth anniversary of a massacre committed by ISIS against the community in Sinjar. The latest of the PM’s gestures was his reception on Monday of a teenager who was the victim of abuse by security forces affiliated with the Interior Ministry.

A statement from his office, said that he visited the shrines, “praying to God that He will protect Iraq and its people.”

Kadhimi also visited the headquarters of the Iraqi Fiqh Council, where he met with several scholars and clerics to discuss general affairs. He underscored the important role played by religious figures in pursuing the interests of the people. He also hailed their role in bolstering societal peace and stability in the country.

The council is among the highest Sunni religious authorities in Iraq and is a reference for several of Iraq’s Sunni community.

The premier also met with Hussein Ismail al-Sadr, one of Baghdad’s most prominent Shiite officials and a major member of the Sadr family.

Kadhimi’s visit was widely praised by the public, given its humanitarian and national motives. His visit to the shrines demonstrates his efforts to bolster national unity and bridge divides caused by years of sectarian violence after the 2003 US invasion.



UN Official Says Israel Strikes Lebanon-Syria Border Crossing

 People carry their belongings while crossing from Lebanon into Syria, as they walk past a crater caused in the aftermath of an Israeli strike that occurred early on Friday morning, at Jousieh crossing between Syria and Lebanon, Syria October 28, 2024. (Reuters)
People carry their belongings while crossing from Lebanon into Syria, as they walk past a crater caused in the aftermath of an Israeli strike that occurred early on Friday morning, at Jousieh crossing between Syria and Lebanon, Syria October 28, 2024. (Reuters)
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UN Official Says Israel Strikes Lebanon-Syria Border Crossing

 People carry their belongings while crossing from Lebanon into Syria, as they walk past a crater caused in the aftermath of an Israeli strike that occurred early on Friday morning, at Jousieh crossing between Syria and Lebanon, Syria October 28, 2024. (Reuters)
People carry their belongings while crossing from Lebanon into Syria, as they walk past a crater caused in the aftermath of an Israeli strike that occurred early on Friday morning, at Jousieh crossing between Syria and Lebanon, Syria October 28, 2024. (Reuters)

UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi said an Israeli air strike hit "humanitarian structures" Saturday at a border crossing between Lebanon and Syria that was previously hit last month.

The crossing, known as Jousieh on the Syrian side, became a key escape route for those fleeing the Israel-Hezbollah war after the main border crossing between the two countries was hit.

But it was put out of service late last month when an Israeli strike created a large crater that blocked vehicle traffic.

"A new Israeli air strike hit the border post of Jousieh, where many Lebanese and Syrians cross from Lebanon to Syria," Grandi said on social media platform X.

"Humanitarian structures were also struck," he said, adding that "even fleeing and taking care of those who flee are becoming difficult and dangerous as the war continues to spread."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said two Israeli strikes hit the Jousieh crossing on Saturday.

The raid came after the main crossing between Beirut and Damascus, known as Masnaa on the Lebanese side, was forced to close by an Israel strike on October 4.

There are six official crossings between Lebanon and Syria, although there are many unofficial routes across the porous border.

Israel has repeatedly accused Hezbollah of transporting weapons to Lebanon from Syria through the crossings.