Art News

Shiite Expansion of the al-Askari Shrine in Samarra Pushes Out Sunni Neighbors

SAMARRA (AP).- The bombing of a revered Shiite shrine in this Sunni city in central Iraq opened the worst chapter of the war, two years of sectarian bloodshed. Five years after its destruction, the iconic dome of the al-Askari shrine in Samarra is nearly rebuilt — but it’s the focus of a fresh sectarian dispute over Shiites’ expansion plans for the site. Shiite authorities are buying up nearby Sunni homes with the intent of tearing them down to make room for hotels, restaurants and other amenities for pilgrims. Sunnis say there’s little financial benefit for them in any of this. They contend that the construction jobs are going to Shiites and that pilgrims are herded away from the surrounding community. “The problem is that you, as a Samarra local, you have no contact with the pilgrims,” said Jaafar Hamid, a resident. “We have unemployment. We should feel some progress because of the construction and the expansion. But we haven’t felt any-