All articles tagged with #arbaeen
In Karbala, about 20 million Shia pilgrims attend Arbaeen, with a large Iranian presence, to mourn Imam Hussein at the Imam Hussein Shrine; the mass pilgrimage is interwoven with regional politics, notably around Iran’s leadership and perceptions of U.S. and Israeli actions, while Iraq’s Shiite-led governance and Iran’s influence are on display through processions, portraits, and prayers.
A bus carrying Shiite pilgrims to the Iraqi city of Karbala overturned near Balad, north of Baghdad, resulting in the death of 18 people, including 10 Iranians, two Iraqis, and six individuals of unknown nationality. The annual pilgrimage of Arbaeen attracts millions of believers from Iraq, Iran, and Gulf countries, making it the largest annual public gathering globally. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani was present at the Shalamcheh border crossing to observe the entry of Iranian pilgrims and laid the foundation stone for a railway project connecting the two countries.