ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday thanked Iraq for its hospitality towards Iranian pilgrims traveling to the country to take part in the holy Shiite Muslim commemoration of Arbaeen.
“The efforts made by the Iraqi government to make the Arbaeen visit a success deserve thanks and appreciation,” Raisi told an Iraqi News Agency reporter during a press conference, adding that “one of the reasons for the success of the procession is the hospitality of the great Iraqi people.”
Millions of Shiite followers from around the world, particularly Iran, annually embark upon a journey towards Iraq’s holy city of Karbala, to attend the Arbaeen pilgrimage, a Shiite ritual marking the end of a 40-day mourning period for the death of the Shiite leader and grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, Imam Hussein, in 680 AD.
The Arbaeen walk begins in Ras al-Bishah, near Iraq’s southern borders with Iran and Kuwait, through the Gulf waters. It ends in Karbala where the shrine of Imam Hussein is located.
The mourning of the Imam’s death is one of the most important rituals in Shiite Islam.
Raisi added that “coordination continues with various ministries and institutions” on both sides of the border to ensure that the procession goes well.
Iranian media has projected that three to five million Iranian pilgrims will travel to Karbala this year.
On Monday, two deadly car accidents in Iraq’s Dhi Qar and Wasit provinces killed at least 12 Iranian pilgrims and injured dozens more.
Arbaeen is marked 40 days after the Shiite commemoration of Imam Hussein’s death, also known as Ashura.
“The efforts made by the Iraqi government to make the Arbaeen visit a success deserve thanks and appreciation,” Raisi told an Iraqi News Agency reporter during a press conference, adding that “one of the reasons for the success of the procession is the hospitality of the great Iraqi people.”
Millions of Shiite followers from around the world, particularly Iran, annually embark upon a journey towards Iraq’s holy city of Karbala, to attend the Arbaeen pilgrimage, a Shiite ritual marking the end of a 40-day mourning period for the death of the Shiite leader and grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, Imam Hussein, in 680 AD.
The Arbaeen walk begins in Ras al-Bishah, near Iraq’s southern borders with Iran and Kuwait, through the Gulf waters. It ends in Karbala where the shrine of Imam Hussein is located.
The mourning of the Imam’s death is one of the most important rituals in Shiite Islam.
Raisi added that “coordination continues with various ministries and institutions” on both sides of the border to ensure that the procession goes well.
Iranian media has projected that three to five million Iranian pilgrims will travel to Karbala this year.
On Monday, two deadly car accidents in Iraq’s Dhi Qar and Wasit provinces killed at least 12 Iranian pilgrims and injured dozens more.
Arbaeen is marked 40 days after the Shiite commemoration of Imam Hussein’s death, also known as Ashura.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment