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Shia Muslim Seminary in Iraq Gains Prominence

By Jackie Northam
Published May 8, 2003 at 9:00 PM MST

NPR's Jackie Northam reports from Najaf on the "Hawza," the Islamic seminary in Najaf that provides guidance and religious instruction for Shia Muslims worldwide. The Hawza is gaining new prominence since the fall of Saddam Hussein, whose regime persecuted the Shia, especially their religious leaders.

Copyright 2003 NPR
Jackie Northam
Jackie Northam is NPR's International Affairs Correspondent. She is a veteran journalist who has spent three decades reporting on conflict, geopolitics, and life across the globe - from the mountains of Afghanistan and the desert sands of Saudi Arabia, to the gritty prison camp at Guantanamo Bay and the pristine beauty of the Arctic.
See stories by Jackie Northam