HOLY SAMARRA, Iraq: Iraqis on Monday Moharram 23 launched grand rallies, majalis al-azaa and conferences across the country to commemorate the first anniversary of the destruction of the sacred Askariyain shrine.

The golden dome of the 1,000-year-old Al-Imam Ali Naqi Al-Hadi (AS) and Al-Imam Hasan Al-Askari (AS) mausoleum in the northern holy city of Samarra was demolished by terrorists on February 22, 2006, Moharram 23.

A 15-minute silence to mark the attack was also observed.

In the holy city of Karbala, thousands participated in the procession led by scholars, deputies of Maraje and representatives of Hozaat to severely condemn the heinous criome against Qobbatol Askariyain.

The demonstrators were carrying replica of the destructed holy shrine. They demanded from the government immediate reconstruction of the holy shrine and made clear they would not let this holy shrine to be turned into second ‘Al-Baqee’.

Holding black standards and chanting slogans against terrorism on Samarra shrine, the protestors marched towards the holy Husseini shrine.

Similar mourning protest rallies were also held in Holy Najaf, Holy Samarra, Baghdad, Diwaniya, Al-Amara and many other cities. The protestors carried banners urging the government to accelerate the mausoleum's reconstruction. One flag was emblazoned: "Why this silence on the destruction of the mausoleum?"

In holy Najaf, a conference titled ‘first national conference on bombing of shrine of Al-Imamain Al-Askariyain’ was held attended by clerics, thinkers, intellectuals and politicians. Deputy President of Iraq Adil Abdel Mehdi addressed and strongly denounced the crime. Vice-president of Iraq’s clerics organization Sheikh Yousaf Al-Hamdani also addressed.

In a speech to followers in Baghdad, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, urged the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to speed up reconstruction of the shrine and to protect pilgrims from attacks by terrorists.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said in a statement on Sunday: "We respect all religious authorities in the Islamic world who have denounced the destruction of the Samarra shrine."

Maliki said that if more such authorities issued religious decrees that clearly identified terror groups and forbid Muslims from joining them, "then there would not be thousands of victims of car bombs and explosive belts.