From Karbala to Baghdad, Najaf to Erbil, Iraq knows war. It knows occupation. It knows the cost of silence when bombs fall. As the United States launches a nuclear missile strike on Iran, Iraq’s voice breaks the regionâs trauma-forged silence.
âWe will not accept another Hiroshima in the heart of Islam,â
declared a Shia cleric from Najaf during Friday prayers.
Iraq stands with Iranânot merely as a neighbor, but as a nation that has tasted the same poison of power unchecked.
1. IraqâIran: A Shared Story of Pain, Faith, and Peace
Despite the bitter Iran-Iraq War (1980â88), the past two decades have seen deep reconciliation, increased religious pilgrimages, and growing economic and cultural cooperation.
Over 4 million Iranians visit Iraq annually, especially during Arbaâeen, one of the worldâs largest peaceful gatherings. This spiritual traffic binds the two peoples beyond politics.
Today, that brotherhood demands loyaltyânot to regimes, but to the sanctity of life.
2. Clerical Outcry: Shia and Sunni Leaders Unite
Leading clerics in Karbala, Najaf, Baghdad, and Mosul have declared the nuclear strike on Iran âharamâ and a crime against Allahâs creation.
Sermons resound with phrases like:
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âIran is not alone.â
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âThe Ummah must never accept nuclear injustice.â
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âSilence is complicity.â
Sunni scholars in Ramadi and Basra have echoed these sentiments, creating a rare and powerful unified voice across sectarian lines.
3. Civil Society and Media Response
From university campuses in Baghdad to community centers in Kirkuk, rallies and poetry readings condemn the U.S. strike.
A viral post from a Baghdad activist reads:
âYou gave us uranium. Now you bomb our brother with it.â
Al-Sumaria TV, Rudaw, and Al Mada newspapers have published editorials mourning the Iranian victims and warning of long-term regional instability.
4. Cultural, Religious, and Historic Bonds
The Iranian and Iraqi peoples share more than borders:
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Shared shrines in Najaf and Qom
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Common martyrs in the fight against ISIS
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Intermarried families across the border
These bonds have turned grief into unity.
Conclusion
Iraq knows what war leaves behind. And it knows how international silence kills.
To the people of Iran, Iraq says:
âWe know your pain because we have lived it.
Your cities are our cities.
Your dead are our martyrs.
And your future will not be bombed into dustânot while we stand.â