BAGHDAD (AP) — Red and green Shia banners line the streets of Baghdad, portraits of religious figures and slain "martyrs" stare down from billboards, hymns blare from shops and cafes, and grim-faced militiamen prowl the streets in pickup trucks. The holy month of Muharram has brought an unprecedented show of strength by Iraq's Shia Muslim
Despite Bombings By Sunni Extremists, Iraqi Shias Use Holy Month As Show Of Force
Iraq’s Shia majority was brutalized under Saddam’s regime, and now faces the constant threat of bombings by Sunni extremists such as ISIS, who view them as apostates.