For Immediate Release
September 15, 2004

Iraqi Shiites Observe Annual Pilgrimage
Fact of the Day

Iraqi Shiites observed their annual pilgrimage to Baghdad's Kadimiyah Shrine last weekend. The pilgrimage, which took place without involvement of multinational forces, underscores progress made by the Iraqi people and their interim government. The pilgrimage also demonstrates renewed religious freedom in Iraq, as Saddam Hussein formally suppressed this and other Shiite events.

SOURCE: American Forces Press Services