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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  • @[email protected]English
    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.

      • @[email protected]English
        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.

        • @[email protected]
          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.

      • @[email protected]English
        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.