The group, which has struck before in Iran, has a long history of division with the country.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility on Thursday for the bombing attack that killed 84 people in Kerman, Iran, a day before, during a memorial procession for Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, according to a post on the extremist group’s official Telegram account.

The extremist group called the attack a “dual martyrdom operation,” and described how two militants approached a ceremony at the tomb of General Suleimani and detonated explosive belts strapped to their bodies “near the grave of the hypocrite leader.”

The general, a widely revered and feared Iranian military officer who was the architect of an Iranian-led and -funded alliance of Shiite groups across the Middle East, was assassinated four years ago in an American drone attack.

The Islamic State, a Sunni Muslim organization, considers its mission to kill apostate Muslims, including Shiites. Iran, a majority-Shiite country, is led by a theocratic government in which Shiite clerics are in charge.

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  • ryathal@sh.itjust.works
    45·
    1 year ago

    Despite the popular “lol religion dumb” sentiment on lemmy, religion is still a useful thing. It provides benefits to members that can’t be found elsewhere, notably the “third place” that has almost disappeared in modern society.

    • WhatsThePoint@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      What benefits does it provide that couldn’t be provided without believing in a deity? Community? A sense or purpose? Daycare? Not sure what the “third place” you say is so don’t know to what you allude. I do know people fighting over whose “god is right,” like the two parties in this story, has killed many millions of people over human history.

        • WhatsThePoint@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          1 year ago

          Thanks - wasn’t familiar with that term. I’m sure the commenter wasn’t arguing religion is the only third place so I will just say there are far less destructive third place options available.

          • raynethackery@lemmy.world
            1·
            1 year ago

            Agreed. I wasn’t raised in any religion so I have never experience with church being a third place. I had the library growing up.

        • Keith
          1·
          1 year ago

          Examples of third places include churches, cafes, bars, clubs, community centres, public libraries, gyms, bookstores, makerspaces, stoops, and parks.

        • WhatsThePoint@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          Psychopaths be psychopaths. Religion isn’t holding any truly evil person back. I doubt the handful of people that actually would commit crimes, but were “stopped” because of their religion outweighs the number of people who murder in the name of religion.