Adhamiyah
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Adhamiyah (Arabic: ألأعظمية, al-aʿẓamiyyah; BGN: Al A‘z̧amīyah), also Azamiya, is neighborhood and a suburb district of the city of Baghdad, Iraq.
Adhamiyah is located to the north-west of the city center and is a relatively upscale area with a predominately Sunni Muslim population. It has 300,000 inhabitants. The base of the population of Adhamiya consists of people with a high intellectual background, whether it be politicians,artists,scholars and even sports figures. The name is a reference to Abū Hanīfah an-Nuʿmān, a renowned scholar and founder of the prominent Sunni Hanafī School of Islamic Religious Jurisprudence. Abu Hanifa Mosque is also a prominent landmark of the area, where Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man is buried. Adhamiyah is one of nine administrative districts in Baghdad.
The Al Numan Hospital is located in Adhamiyah, as is a royal cemetery for Sunnis.[1]
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[edit] History
Adhamiyah neighborhood is One of the oldest areas of Baghdad, it backs to the Abbasid period.
[edit] Imam's Bridge crush
Although Adhamiyah has been the site of many clashes between Iraqi insurgents and US forces as well as tensions between Shia security forces and Sunni residents, in September 2005, the residents of Adhamiyah were credited with saving hundreds of Shia lives.
Shia pilgrims who were caught in a stampede on "the Imams bridge" (Al-Aaimmah bridge), coming from the opposing shore of Kadhimiyah, began jumping from the bridge in an attempt to escape the crush, only to face drowning in the Tigris below. Adhamiyah residents dove into the waters, pulling hundreds of Shia's to the shore, where their fellow residents transported them to hospitals and mosques, in some cases using the mattresses from their own beds as makeshift stretchers.
According to the Interior Ministry, upwards of 900 Shia pilgrims died in the stampede, with a like number of wounded.
[edit] Adhamiyah wall
On April 10, 2007, Coalition forces began to construct a three mile, 12 foot high wall around the Adhamiyah neighborhood in an attempt to reduce Sunni-Shia violence.[2] Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called for a halt to construction on April 22.[3] but it was finished anyway in May.
During Summer 2007, two Bradley Fighting Vehicles were destroyed by deep buried IED's in the Adhamiyah area. (One was from C Company and one was from A Company, Task Force Spader, 1st Battalion 26th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division, US Army. Sniper and IED tactics were commonly used against Coalition forces in the area during this time.
By late Fall 2007, life in Adhamiya had begun to resemble a city again with traffic jams, the reopening of shops, and an abatement of violence. Security efforts of the Coalition forces and cooperation of the local populace were credited as factors contributing to this change. However, in January 2008 terrorists killed Col. Riyadh al-Samarrai, a founder of the Sunni Awakening Council, a new American ally, in Adhamiya at the offices of the Sunni Endowment. He was a close aide and security adviser to the leader of the Sunni Endowment, Sheik Ahmed Abdul Ghafour al-Samarrai who held Al Qaeda responsible.
[edit] References
[edit] Citations
- ^ "Iraqi army "prevents bomb attack at hospital"", Monsters and Critics, May 10, 2007.
- ^ "Iraqis Decry US "Separation Wall"", U.N. Observer, 4-21-2007.
- ^ "Al-Maliki demanded a halt to construction of a wall around Sunni neighborhood in Baghdad", International Herald Tribune, 4-22-2007.
[edit] Other sources
- Meeting Resistance (2007), a documentary film about resistance fighters in Adhamiyah
[edit] External links
- Baghdad wall around Sunni enclave - BBC News, 21 April 2007
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