An Iraqi friend recently told me a story attributed to Imam Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad:
There were three bulls that lived in a forest - a white bull, a black bull, and a yellow bull. All were strong and beautiful.
There was also a lion that lived in the forest. And the lion wanted very much to eat the bulls, but because they were together, and united, he couldn't attack them.
One day the lion found the white bull and the yellow bull together.
"You are the two most beautiful bulls in the world. Why do you let that ugly black bull eat your food and share your forest, when the two of you could have it to yourselves? Why don't you let me do you a favor and eat that ugly black bull?"
The white bull and the yellow bull thought about this, and agreed. So the lion attacked the black bull, and ate him.
A few days later, the lion came to the white bull, who was alone.
"I have never seen a more powerful, beautiful white bull than you. Why should you have to share with that weak, ugly yellow bull? Why don't you let me eat him, and you will have the whole forest to yourself?"
The white bull agreed. Soon, the lion had devoured the yellow bull.
Several days later, the lion returned to the white bull.
"Now, I am going to eat you," said the lion to the white bull.
"I know," said the white bull. "I have been eaten since the black bull was eaten."
The news on the radio recently described a village southeast of Baghdad, where the Euphrates River makes a long, wide curve. There, roughly 30 bodies a day wash up on the shore, or are caught in the fishermen's nets. Families from Baghdad come to this village to look for their missing loved ones when the security situation permits. Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani has issued a fatwa that forbids people to eat fish from this part of the river, even the river carp used in the Iraqi national dish, masgouf. This is because the fish have begun to feed on the corpses.
