SECRETARY-GENERAL LEADS UN OUTCRY AGAINST ATTACK ON HOLY SITE IN IRAQ
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his envoy to Iraq today strongly condemned the attack against holy shrines
in Samarra, where a blast last February triggered a wave of deadly sectarian violence across the country.
"The Secretary-General was deeply shocked to learn of today’s destructive attack on the holy Shrines of Imam Ali
Al-Hadi and Imam Hassan Al-Askary in Samarra," said his spokesperson Michele Montas in a statement.
Mr. Ban "strongly condemns this act, which was clearly aimed at provoking sectarian strife and undermining the peace and
stability of Iraq," she said.
The statement called on all Iraqis "to avoid succumbing to the vicious cycle of revenge and to exercise maximum restraint
while demonstrating unity and resolve in the face of this terrible attack." Mr. Ban also welcomed efforts by Iraqi political
and religious leaders to calm the situation and to promote respect for human rights and the protection of religious sites.
He pledged that the UN "will continue to do everything possible to help the Iraqi people promote inter-communal dialogue
and national reconciliation."
Mr. Ban’s statement came on the heels of a statement by his Special Representative for Iraq, Ashraf Qazi, who "condemned
in the strongest terms possible the sacrilegious attack on the holy Shrines of Imam Ali Al-Hadi and Imam Hassan Al-Askary
in Samarra."
Calling the attack on the holy Shi’a shrines "atrocious," he said it was a "horrendous, sinister and unspeakable
crime whose perpetrators once again intended to inflame sectarian passions, destroy efforts aimed at national reconciliation
and undermine any prospect of peace and stability in Iraq."
Urging Iraqis to exercise maximum restraint and recalling May’s "horrible attack on the Shrine of Abdul-Qader Al-Gilani
Mosque in Baghdad," a revered Sunni site, Mr. Qazi reaffirmed the UN’s condemnation of the targeting of all places of
worship.
He called on all Iraqis to "close ranks more than ever before and demonstrate unity and resolve in the face of this menace
that threatens Iraq national fabric." Doing so, he said, "will deny those behind such horrific acts the opportunity to undermine
the ongoing efforts to consolidate peace and security in the country."
Mr. Qazi also called on the Iraqi authorities to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 730,000 Iraqis have been forced to flee their homes
since the al-Askary shrine in Samarra was bombed last February.
Mr. Qazi was in New York today, where he told the Security Council that the Samarra bombing "can only add to our concerns"
about Iraq.
Addressing an open meeting that saw the participation of over a dozen countries, the envoy said the Council is "uniquely
placed" to support efforts to foster reconciliation in Iraq with the participation of the country’s neighbours and the
wider world.
"The international community cannot allow itself to become a spectator of the unfolding crisis in Iraq, if only because
of the unconscionable human cost involved," he stressed. "The international community not only has a vital security stake
in the stability of Iraq, it also has an inescapable moral obligation" to help.
Mr. Qazi warned that if the political and security situation in Iraq is not improved over the coming months, "there is
a danger that its several crises may escalate further."
The Special Representative said the support of the UN, Council members and the Iraqi Government "has the potential to effectively
assist and develop national dialogue and reconciliation processes, regional cooperation on Iraq, and international support."
The Secretary-General, speaking to reporters following his monthly luncheon with Council members, said the UN has a plan
to increase its presence in the country when circumstances permit.
"This is a priority issue, to see the early resolution as well as restoration of peace and security and democratization
in Iraq," he said.
"This is a common effort of the international community."
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