Leader Hails Great Arbaeen March

Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei described the massive Arbaeen pilgrimage, the largest annual gathering of people anywhere on Earth, as an outstanding phenomenon manifesting the growing spirit of struggle and sacrifice in the path of God. Last week, millions of pilgrims converged on the holy city of Karbala for the Arbaeen commemoration, the end of 40-day anniversary after the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (PBUH), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).  In a meeting with cultural officials on Nov. 13, the Leader said, "The presence of such a huge crowd, despite terrorist threats, shows how this struggle in the path of God is growing," Leader.ir reported. Estimates on the total attendance, including Iraqis and two million Iranians, vary from a high of 15-17 million to a low of 6-7 million.