KARBALA: Over 21 million pilgrims attend Arbaeen pilgrimage in Iraq
KARBALA: This year, almost 21 million pilgrims traveled to Iraq for the Arbaeen pilgrimage, which peaked on Sunday with participants showing their solidarity for Gaza.
The Arabic word for forty, Arbaeen, signifies the 40th day of mourning for Imam Hussein’s killing. For Shias, who make up the majority in Iran and Iraq, it is a significant occasion and one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.
The hub of the Shia world at this time is Karbala, where Imam Hussein and his brother Abbas are interred in two massive mausoleums facing one another.
Pilgrims openly express their pain by sobbing and crying in Imam Hussein’s honor.
In the midst of the Gaza crisis, pilgrims have displayed Palestinian flags prominently during this year’s activities, according to photographers.
“The aggregate count of Arbaeen pilgrims… amounted to 21,480,525,” said the organization in charge of overseeing the Abbas monument. About 3.5 million Iranian pilgrims were among them, according to government statistics released in Tehran.
The pilgrims’ Palestinian flags are fluttering “in support of our brothers in Palestine and in response to the Zionists, saying that Muslims stand as one against the Zionist actions and against the crimes taking place in Gaza,” said to 32-year-old pilgrim Mohammed al-Tamimi.
According to official data, the Arbaeen festivities, which are typically held under strict security, attracted around 22 million pilgrims in the previous year. With four million international tourists, Iran led the pack.
