http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/aug2003/spai-a12.shtml Spanish troops in Iraq to wear Christian badge I know organisations such as the Red Cross etc have a red Cross (Albeit not necessarily the traditional christian cross) emblazened everywhere but this seems to be asking for trouble. On first hearing that the new contingent of Spanish troops being sent to Iraq are wearing the Cruz de Santiago de Compostela (Cross of St. James of Compostela) on their arm badge, one could be forgiven for thinking the authorities in Spain had lost their minds. The triangular top and arrow-like arms of the cross have become a symbol of the liquidation of the Muslims who were finally driven out of Spain after 800 years of fighting by the reconquest in 1492. This was also the start of the period of colonialist expansion by Spain’s Catholic monarchy. During the battle of Clavijo, the legend goes, the Apostle St. James appeared in the sky on a white horse brandishing a sword with which he killed every Muslim in his path. St. James became the symbol of the fight for the reconquest of Spain and has since been known as “Santiago Matamoros” (St. James the Moor killer). Described in the Scripture as one of the “sons of thunder,” the Apostle is credited with converting the Iberian peninsula to Christianity. The soldiers are the first batch of 1,300 combat troops that the Spanish government is sending to Iraq to join the international occupation force patrolling the Al Qadisija and An Najaf areas, whose population is overwhelmingly Shiite. Najaf is considered one of the holiest cities in Iraq and a pilgrimage centre for the world’s Shiite faithful. Two weeks ago, 10,000 Shiites demonstrated against the American occupation. Additionally, Najaf is the tomb of the Imam Ali, cousin and son-in-law of the prophet Mahomet. The city contains a world-renowned school for the understanding of the Koran and houses the biggest cemetery of Muslims in the Near East. The centre-right newspaper El Mundo attacked the new design, arguing that careful consideration must be given to the risks of sending a Spanish force to the country, yet the latest deployment had been taken on the sole say-so of the ruling Popular Party (PP) government The newspaper’s editorial declared: “To put the Cross of St. James of Compostela on the uniforms of Spanish soldiers demonstrates an absolute ignorance of the psychology of the society in which they will have to carry out their mission.” And it added, “It would be difficult to come up with any symbol more offensive to the Shiite population than this cross.”
sometimes I wonder what people are thinking, always having their heads up their ass. Anyways I am sure one can only see that this will only lead to more trouble.
Slightly better is the rumour that Serbian troops have been volunteered for duty in Iraq, despite the fact that several of them are wanted for war crimes against the Muslim population of what used to be Yugoslavia....
