EU condemns attack against shrine in Baghdad
The European Union today condemned the bombing in Iraq of one of Shiite Islam’s holiest shrines, an attack that set off a wave of sectarian violence.
The Foreign Ministry in Austria, which currently holds the EU presidency, called the attacks against the shrine, known as the Golden Mosque, “criminal and outrageous.”
Dozens of people, including some clerics, have been killed since Wednesday, when bombs destroyed the shrine north of Baghdad, unleashing reprisal attacks on Sunni Arabs.
“This horrendous attack on one of the holiest Shiite religious sites in Iraq ... and the loss of life in the subsequent retaliatory events show the urgent need for all communities in Iraq for maximum restraint,” the statement said.
The conflict caused by the attack “undermines peace and stability” in Iraq and could lead to a derailing of the political process, the statement said.
The European Union appealed to Iraqis to “act in the spirit of dialogue and respect.”
