Millions of pilgrims took part in the mourning ritual of Arba’een in Iraq, which reached its culmination Thursday, according to Iraqi Transport Minister Baqir Jabr al-Zubeidi said.
The Arba’een ritual takes place in Karbala and marks the 40th day after the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (PBUH). The Imam and 72 of his loyal companions were martyred on Ashura, the tenth day of the lunar month of Muharram, in the battle of Karbala against the second Umayyad caliph, Yazid I, in 680 A.D. Imam Hussein was martyred after he refused to pledge allegiance to the tyrant ruler.
Pilgrims from over 100 countries, including Iran, converged on Karbala for over a week to mark Arba’een, defying threats by terrorists to attack them. Many of the mourners reached the city on foot to show their devotion to the Imam.
Iraqi officials took special security measures this year to protect pilgrims against possible terrorist attacks. In a message on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif thanked the Iraqi authorities, government and people for successfully hosting millions of pilgrims, Press TV reported.
