Iraqis Go Out At Night

And now that the U.S.-imposed night curfew has been lifted during the holy month, mosques are teeming with the faithful.

"Now you see Iraqis coming in droves to mosques to perform Tarawih prayer, and by the same token you see cafés full," Abd Hashim, owner of a restaurant at al-Azamiya district in Baghdad, told IslamOnline.net Tuesday, November 4.

"I reinstated 12 workers I had laid off over the past few months to keep pace with the increasing demand.

"True that the deadly bombings of October 27 had their toll on the market, but things are much better now than in the past two months when we were terrified by the U.S. soldiers, thieves and the night curfew," Abd Hashim added.

At least 42 people were killed and over 200 others injured when a series of bombings hit vital parts of the Iraqi capital, including the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and several police stations.

Saad Far’an, a café owner, says there is no room for fears now.

"We no longer live in horror, but the Americans do…I close my shop now at 11 p.m.," jubilant Far’an told IOL.

Asked about the latest bombings that claimed lives of innocent Iraqis, he stressed it was neither the work of the Iraqi resistance nor even ousted president Saddam Hussein.

"The proof is very simple; we are moving freely at night with no guards, which make us an easy target for the resistance fighters should they want to terrify us," Far’an averred.

Samir al-Salih, however, still fears for his children’s safety from indiscriminate bombings.

"I only fear for my children and that’s why we keep them at home. But when it comes to cafés and restaurants, it is quite safe," he told IOL.

Following the October 27 attacks, the Iraqi interim education ministry ordered all schools indefinitely closed to keep safe all students in these turbulent times.

Baghdad was also semi-paralyzed Saturday, November 1, amid fears of new deadly attacks on the so-called "resistance day."