Tens of millions of Shia Muslims have taken part in one of the biggest marches in the world, risking their lives to travel through Iraq in celebration of a famous Muslim martyr and in defiance of ISIS attacks.
The marchers made their way to the city of Karbala, 62 miles south west of Baghdad, on Sunday and Monday for the holy day of Arbaeen, which marks the end of a 40-day mourning period following Ashura, the religious ritual that commemorates the death of the Prophet Mohammad's grandson Imam Hussein in 680 AD.
Large crowds visit the shrines of Imam Hussein and his half-brother Abbas in Karbala, where they were killed in a revolt against the Umayyad ruler Yazeed in the seventh century AD when they refused to pledge allegiance to Yazeed's Umayyad caliphate.
Nusayyef al-Khattabi, who heads the Karbala provincial council, said he expected the total number of visitors over several days to range “between 17 million and 20 million.” Among them are an estimated three million foreigners, the majority Iranians who started crossing the border days ago.
Many choose to make the journey on foot, despite travelling near ISIS-controlled areas in the country and the extremist group having made frequent deadly attacks on the pilgrimage.
ISIS has declared Shia Muslims apostates and targeted them in its bloody campaign to establish a hardline caliphate across Iraq and Syria.
Large-scale security operations, involving 24,000 soldiers and police, were put in place during this year's march due to fears ISIS forces in and around its last major stronghold of Mosul may seek to strike Baghdad or Karbala during Arbaeen.
Karbala, around 50 miles, southwest of Baghdad, faces the desert of Anbar, a vast province that was until recently an ISIS bastion and where jihadists still carry out frequent attacks.
Last week, a suicide bomber killed six people near Karbala in an attack claimed by the so-called Islamic State.
"Unfortunately [some] media outlets have gone for stories that to some extent can be divisive. If a group of Muslims do something good, it's not mentioned or the religion is not mentioned. But if someone does something [negative], it is on the front page and their religion is mentioned."
Entire article at.....
Millions of Muslims take part in mass pilgrimage of Arbaeen – in spite of Isis | The Independent
The marchers made their way to the city of Karbala, 62 miles south west of Baghdad, on Sunday and Monday for the holy day of Arbaeen, which marks the end of a 40-day mourning period following Ashura, the religious ritual that commemorates the death of the Prophet Mohammad's grandson Imam Hussein in 680 AD.
Large crowds visit the shrines of Imam Hussein and his half-brother Abbas in Karbala, where they were killed in a revolt against the Umayyad ruler Yazeed in the seventh century AD when they refused to pledge allegiance to Yazeed's Umayyad caliphate.
Nusayyef al-Khattabi, who heads the Karbala provincial council, said he expected the total number of visitors over several days to range “between 17 million and 20 million.” Among them are an estimated three million foreigners, the majority Iranians who started crossing the border days ago.
Many choose to make the journey on foot, despite travelling near ISIS-controlled areas in the country and the extremist group having made frequent deadly attacks on the pilgrimage.
ISIS has declared Shia Muslims apostates and targeted them in its bloody campaign to establish a hardline caliphate across Iraq and Syria.
Large-scale security operations, involving 24,000 soldiers and police, were put in place during this year's march due to fears ISIS forces in and around its last major stronghold of Mosul may seek to strike Baghdad or Karbala during Arbaeen.
Karbala, around 50 miles, southwest of Baghdad, faces the desert of Anbar, a vast province that was until recently an ISIS bastion and where jihadists still carry out frequent attacks.
Last week, a suicide bomber killed six people near Karbala in an attack claimed by the so-called Islamic State.
"Unfortunately [some] media outlets have gone for stories that to some extent can be divisive. If a group of Muslims do something good, it's not mentioned or the religion is not mentioned. But if someone does something [negative], it is on the front page and their religion is mentioned."
Entire article at.....
Millions of Muslims take part in mass pilgrimage of Arbaeen – in spite of Isis | The Independent
