Two million Iranian pilgrims going to Karbala to honour Imam Husayn
The event, banned under Saddam and object of attacks and violence in the recent past, commemorates the assassination in 680 of the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. Participants include women and men, young and old, newborns in prams and disabled on wheelchairs. For one pilgrim, “This march shows the imperialist world that the Muslim nation cannot be defeated by any economic, military or political means”.
Karbala (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Almost two million Iranian pilgrims have crossed the border with Iraq to reach the holy Shia city of Karbala and celebrate Arba’een, the last event of the 40 days of mourning for the assassination of Imam Husayn 1,300 years ago.
During the march, banned under Saddam Hussein and object of attacks and violence in the recent past, the faithful perform ritual beating of chests or self-flagellation along the way. This year, the "human tide" of pilgrims crossed at Mehran, along the border between the two countries.
According to organisers, Iraq issued more than 1.8 million entry visas for Arba’een, which will culminate tomorrow with the arrival – on foot with covered heads - at the Imam Husayn shrine. Men and women, young and old, newborns in prams and disabled in wheelchair will come from the four corners of Iran.
"I'm going because my heart is asking for it," says 39-year-old Morteza Taghikhani, an auto worker, who has already performed the pilgrimage five times before. "I come to show my love". This time, his wife and children are with him.
The pilgrimage marks the martyrdom in 680 AD of Imam Husayn, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who refused to accept the leadership of the "usurper" caliph, Yazid, and for this was slaughtered together with his followers in Karbala. This is one of the events that created the great chasm in Islam between Sunnis and Shias, which is now reflected in the regional clash between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
With the new Iraqi regime set up after the fall of Saddam, with a Shia as head of government, the march has become one of the most important and popular religious pilgrimages in the world.
The event is also an occasion to show off nationalist and patriotic pride, as well as assert one’s identity. For a 23-year-old cleric from Qom, Sajjad Entezar, "This march shows the imperialist world that the Muslim nation cannot be defeated with any economic, military or political means”.
Khadijeh Mehrjoo, a 36-year-old official from a town in central Iran, says he is not worried about the long walk, the nights under a tent or the dangers of the road. "We must not fear because Imam Husayn watches over us," he says. In spite of fears and dangers, "the march becomes an element of unity, solidarity".
As a sign of the importance of the event, Iranian security have arrested 15 people suspected of belonging to "three terrorist cells" bent on attacking pilgrims on their way to holy Shia sites in Iraq.
Government sources in Tehran note that the arrests were carried out in the south-eastern province of Khuzestan, on the border with Iraq. Shias travelling to Karbala for Arba’een were the target.
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