NAJAF -- A HOLY CITY CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE
Critical Analysis and Role Play
By Lara Maupin, a social studies teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia

Overview:
This lesson should take 15 -20 minutes and may be used to discuss with your students reports that U.S. forces have encircled the Iraqi holy city of Najaf. Students will identify why Najaf is important to Shiite Muslims and in terms of U.S. military strategy. This lesson may be used in any social studies class.

Materials:
Students will need printed copies of the NewsHour Extra article cited below or computers with Internet access.

Correlations to National Standards

Procedure:

1. Give your students some background on the two main branches of Islam. Explain that this division occurred in the 7th century after the death of the prophet Muhammad as a conflict over who should rightfully lead Muslims.

   Shiite Muslims
   one of the two main divisions of Islam - those who wanted Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law Ali chosen as his successor, ten percent of Muslims worldwide but a majority in Iraq, official religion of Iran

   Sunni Muslims
   one of the two main divisions of Islam (traditional / orthodox) - those who wanted the successor to Muhammad to be elected and thus today accept the actual succession of the early caliphs, ninety percent of Muslims worldwide, ruling minority in Iraq

2. Explain that U.S. forces have reportedly encircled the Iraqi city of Najaf, a holy city for Shiite Muslims that overlooks vital U.S. supply routes. Have students read the following NewsHour Extra story.

3. Discuss the story using the following questions.

   Why is Najaf important to Shiite Muslims?
   · resting place of Imam Ali Ibn Abu Talib, the Shiites' most revered saint; Ali's shrine is also a landmark of Islamic art
   · seat (a place from which authority is exercised) of Shiites' spiritual leaders
   · center for academic and theological studies for the Islamic world
   · third most holy city in Islam after Mecca and Medina (for Shiites -Jerusalem would be the third for Sunnis)
   · overlooks world's largest cemetery where Shiites hope to be buried

   Why is Najaf important in terms of military strategy?
   · a critical junction on the march to Baghdad
   · scene of intense fighting
   · could serve as base for attacks on coalition supply lines

   What options do the U.S. forces surrounding Najaf have and what are the possible results of each?
   · cordon off the city - would have to leave troops around the city, may face attacks from militants inside
   · attempt to take the city - would have to go door-to-door to root out militants which is dangerous and could provoke angry responses from Muslims, especially if holy sites are attacked or damaged
   · ignore the city and continue to move North - the city may contain many militants and could serve as a base for further attacks coalition forces or supply lines

4. Break your students into small groups to role-play military leaders who must decide which of the options they will choose in order to relay orders to those encircling the city. Debrief by discussing the difficulties faced in preserving sites important for historical, archaeological, religious, or cultural reasons during wartime. Note that Iraq has a number of such sites.

Extension Ideas:

1. Have your students learn more about Islam by identifying the following terms. Students should define each and explain their significance historically and in the daily lives of practicing Muslims (handout/PDF) (handout/HTML)
   
   National Standards:

   National Council for the Social Studies Thematic Strands:
   
   I. Culture
   
   II. Time, Continuity and Change
   
   VI. Power, Authority and Governance
   
   IX. Global Connections

Author Lara Maupin teaches social studies at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. She is on leave during the 2002-2003 school year. She has a Master’s Degree in Secondary Social Studies Education from George Washington University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology and Philosophy from Mount Holyoke College.

To find out more about opportunities to contribute to this site, contact Leah Clapman at extra@newshour.org.