Currently there is a US-led offensive in the Iraqi town of Najaf--you have to deliberately ignore the news to not notice that. Najaf is probably what you'd call a mecca, a holy place, and it is home to the Iman Ali shrine and a vast cemetary, the Wadi-us-Salaam (ironically means "Valley of Peace").
And now there are US soldiers, tanks, and helicopters swarming the city, trying to, depending on the way you look at it, put down Shiite uprisings or inflict an an American presence on their way of life. (Aside: When did Iraqis go from being "Iraqis" or "Shiites" to "insurgents"? And it makes a damned fine line for the US and our, can we still call it this, coalition to walk.
The thing that gets me is that this mosque is so holy, and yet there are Shiites fighting from inside it. If it's so holy and they don't want it damaged, why risk its destruction? Ah. To incite rebellion. To get the US or Iragi forces to bomb it, ruin it, and piss off even more Shiites. What they're doing, in effect, is hiding behind their religion. And according to their beliefs (or ancient beliefs--don't know whether they're held today or not), if you're buried in Najaf, you'll definitely go to heaven.
But if the roles were reversed, would we in America be any different? Arguably, if Najaf is the Holy Place for the Shiites, and stands for what they believe, is the Statue of Liberty the American equivalent? Or was that the World Trade Center? Or the White House? Arlington Cemetary? Veitnam Memorial? The new WWII memorial? Seattle Space Needle? St. Louis arch?
Where would you be holding your gun? NYC? McDonald's Golden arches?