An Iraqi Shiite religious leader yesterday urged people to burn down Baghdad cinemas showing films he branded indecent, and threatened "sinful" women with death.
Mr Mohammed al-Fartussi said the "sinful women", alcohol-sellers and cinemas should stop their practices within a week. "The cinemas in Al-Saadun Street show indecent films. I warn them: if in a week they do not change, we will act differently with them," he said in a sermon at Muslim weekly prayers at Al-Mohsen mosque in Baghdad's Shiite suburb of Sadr City.
"We warn women and the go-betweens who take them to the Americans: if in a week from now they do not change their attitude, the murder of these women is sanctioned (by Islam)," he added.
"This warning also goes out to sellers of alcohol, radios and televisions," the imam, or prayer leader, told a crowd of several thousand. "The torching of cinemas would be permitted" by Islam unless they changed their behaviour.
The Shiite cleric was detained for three days last month by US forces controlling Baghdad, and thousands of Shiites demonstrated in the Iraqi capital to demand his release.
Iraqis were also urged to take part in peaceful marches planned for Monday.
A Tehran prayer leader has accused the US of wanting to undermine the Islamic beliefs of young Iranians by promoting drug-use and sex.
"The United States is seeking to undermine the Islamic beliefs of young Iranians by promoting the use of drugs and cigarettes, and encouraging girls and boys to have illicit relations," said Ayatollah Imami Kashani, in a sermon at Tehran University yesterday. - (AFP)