Miss Iraq

Despite the dangers of Isis and death threats to contestants, the Miss Iraq beauty pageant has been successfully held for the first time in over 40 years.
Shaymaa Abdelrahman, a 20-year-old from Kirkuk, became the first person to claim the title of Miss Iraq since the event was last held in 1972.
When pitching her charity project, Ms Adbelrahman said she would use her fame to help education initiatives, in particular the thousands of people displaced by the on-going war.
The event was originally meant to be held in October but was delayed due to some of the contestants receiving death threats.
More pictures: 1, 2

Voting by severed finger

Around 60 percent of eligible voters have taken part in Iraq’s parliamentary election.
This vote was Iraq’s first parliamentary polls since US forces withdrew from the country in 2011.

Arbaeen in Karbala

On the eve of Arbaeen, 40th day of Imam Hussein martyrdom - grandson of the Prophet Mohammed- millions of lovers and followers swarm his shrine in Karbala on foot to pay homage to him.
Meanwhile, the deputy head of Karbala provincial council Nasim Jassem al-Khatabi expected that "over 16 million pilgrims are expected to attend the mourning ceremonies in Holy city for Arbaeen."
Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Mohammed, opposed to Yazid’s (the ruler at that time) tyranny and was martyred along with 72 of his supporters in an unfair battle, showing exemplary acts of courage, and they were finally martyred and brought about an epic chapter in history which had great figures such as Gandhi, Edward Browne, Charles Dickens admire him with awe and respect.
Who is Imam Hussein?
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Rage against video

People shout slogans during a protest in Basra, Iraq. Thousands of Sunni and Shia demonstrators gathered in anger over the video.
More pictures of protest over the film "Innocence of Muslims"

Mario is for people with fingers!

Sorry, Hassan. Mario is for people with fingers!

Baghdad car bombing

A wounded man is helped from the scene after a bomb attack in Baghdad, June 4.
At least 26 people have been killed and 190 others injured in a car bombing in the central Iraqi capital, Baghdad, police and medical sources say.
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Arbaeen

Millions of mourners have gathered in the Iraqi city of Karbala on Saturday and observed Arbaeen, the end of 40 days of mourning for the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein his 72 companions on Ashura, the tenth day of Muharram, at the hands of the army of the caliph Yazid in 680 CE.
More pics: 1, 2, 3

Revenge of Iraq

Baghdad explosions

The Iraqi capital Baghdad has been hit by a series of apparently co-ordinated attacks.
Sixty nine people have been killed and scores of others injured in multiple bomb explosions in the Iraqi capital
city of Baghdad, an official says.
Ziad Tariq, spokesperson for the Iraqi health ministry, said people 69 were killed and 176 were injured in 10
bombing attacks that rocked nine neighborhoods of the capital on Thursday morning.
The deadly incidents in Iraq took place at a time that the country is experiencing a critical situation.
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Deportees

US forces have formally marked the end of the nearly nine-year war in Iraq with a low-key flag ceremony near Baghdad.
The ceremony officially brings to an end the divisive war that began with the invasion to oust Saddam Hussein.
The "casing of the colours" near the airport, the first site the US occupied in Baghdad in 2003, comes with around 4000 US soldiers still in Iraq, all of whom will depart in the coming days.
After that, all that will remain are 157 soldiers under the authority of the American embassy in Iraq, a country where there were once nearly 170,000 troops on more than 500 bases.
The withdrawal ends a war that left tens of thousands of Iraqis and nearly 4500 American soldiers dead, many more wounded, and 1.75 million Iraqis displaced, after the US-led invasion unleashed brutal sectarian fighting.
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Muharram, month of grief

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It's a month of remembrance that is often considered synonymous with the event of Ashura. Ashura, which literally means the "Tenth" in Arabic, refers to the tenth day of Muharram. It is well-known because of historical significance and mourning for the martyrdom of the grandson of prophet Muhammad, Imam Hussein ibn Ali, in modern-day Iraq 1,300 years ago.
Imam Hossein was martyred in the 680 A.D. battle fought on the plains outside Karbala, a city in modern Iraq that's home to the Imam's holy shrine and where 3 million Shiites gathered Tuesday to mark Ashoura.
"More than 28,000 security forces including back up troops from the interior ministry (police) in Baghdad were sent to control the security of the city," military officials said earlier this week.
The governor of Karbala province, said hundreds of thousands of foreigners had already arrived from countries such as Iran, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan and Tanzania.
In this month, shittes express their grief by sine-zani (beating the chest), zangir-zani (beating oneself with chains) and emerged as common features of the proliferating mourning-processions (dasta-gardani). Mourning for the martyred Imam also takes place in assemblies held in buildings erected especially for the purpose, known either as Hussainia or takia, as well as in mosques and private houses.
Read more: 1, 2

Pictures
Iran: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Karbala (Iraq): 1, 2
Turkey

Birthday of Imam Ali

On the 13th of the month of Rajab, twenty-three years before the migration of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) a child was born in the family of Abu Talib, the light of whom kindled the whole World. Kunaab Mecci narrates about his birth: "We and Abbas were sitting together when suddenly we saw Fatima bint-e-Asad (Imam Ali's mother) moving towards the Kaabah in the condition having delivery pain and saying "Oh God I have faith in you and the Prophet ( i.e., Abraham) who by your command laid the foundation of this house. O God! I swear you by the same Prophet (P.B.U.H.) and swear you by the child in my womb make this birth comfortable and easy for me."
This was the time when all of us saw with our own eyes that the wall of Kaabah broke apart and Fatima bint-e-Asad entered into the Kaabah. Then the wall again united.
Imam Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
The Tomb of Imam Ali is in Najaf. Shia Muslim celebrate 13th of rajab in his holy shrine in Najaf and also in other cities.
The pictures of holy shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf, 13th of rajab (16 june 2011).

Under cruel aggressor's foot

Thanks to President Bush, the Iraqi people now have freedom!