Washington: A blind man with just one hand arrived at the main mosque in the centre of the Iraqi city of Ramadi at dusk on Friday, flanked by IS fighters. After the evening prayer was over, the man, whose head was shrouded in black, delivered a speech to the faithful, hailing the IS’ capture of the capital of Anbar Province its greatest victory over Iraqi forces in almost a year.
Ali Attiya al-Jubouri, widely known as ‘the blind judge’, is one of IS’ most senior figures and his presence in the mosque signalled the group’s dominance over the city, which it seized on May 17 from hapless government forces.“By the blessing of God, we now have an open road between Ramadi and Raqqa,” he said. Despite a fearsome reputation for inflicting savage violence on foes, Islamic State militants have gone out of their way to try to win over residents of Ramadi, providing basic services, locals said.
A United Nations report has said that around 85,000 residents have fled Ramadi since last week, but those who stayed are savoring what they describe as a semblance of order and tranquility in a city that had been a warzone for more than a year.
“We are having a pleasant dream now of living in peace without hearing gunfire or bombs and walking freely through streets,” said teacher Abdul Wahab Ahmed, 45, who compared the new order to “passing a glass of chilled water to the thirsty”.
