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KHANAQIN, Iraq - Shiite pilgrims from Iran have over the past few weeks been travelling by various means of transportation and on foot to reach Karbala and Najaf to mark Arbaeen, mourning the death of Imam Hussein, an event labelled as one of the most essential rituals in Shiite Islam.
Arbaeen, considered the world's largest pilgrimage, will begin on the evening of September 5 and end the next day.
Rudaw understands that 500 Iranian pilgrims use the Khanaqin crossing point on a daily basis to visit Iraq, despite scorching temperatures in the area being between 45-50 degrees.
Wearing black dresses, Shiite men and women flock to Khanaqin's Munziriyah gate in massive numbers. The border crossing point is one of the main routes for Shiite pilgrims to reach southern Iraq.
"For me, it's a blend of sports and cycling. With faith guiding me, I aim to trace the footsteps of Imam Hussein and visit all the sacred shrines," Bezhan Mohamadi, a pilgrim cycling from Iran to Iraq, told Rudaw on Tuesday.
"My beloved Imam, who was martyred for the sake of religion and the Quran, will always be alive until the Day of Resurrection," Zaynab Jihnari, a female pilgrim said. "We die for him. We die for him and his children..."
The governor of Diyala province has sacked the mayor of Khanaqin over reports of a lack of preparations to welcome Iranian pilgrims, including accumulations of piles of litter at the border spot, which is seen as a source of nuisance for the visiting Iranians.
Along with the government's efforts, some residents of Khanaqin have set up stations inside the gate, offering water and food to the pilgrims.
The Iraqi government expects six million pilgrims worldwide to visit Karbala and Najaf this year.
"The pilgrims come from Khanaqin, and from here to Karbala and Najaf. When they arrive here, they look exhausted, so we give them water, tea, and food. We do our best to give them whatever they need because they are all too tired," said Barham Ahmed, a member of a local committee set up to welcome the visiting pilgrims.
Arbaeen marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for the death of the grandson of Prophet Mohammed, Imam Hussein, in a battle fought in the Iraqi city of Karbala in 680 AD.
Iraq has already decided to provide citizens of four countries with free entry visas into the country to take part in Arbaeen, the foreign ministry said last month.
Citizens of Pakistan, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Yemen will be granted entry visas to visit Iraq and partake in Arbaeen “for free and through any Iraqi mission,” foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmed al-Sahaf said.
Arbaeen, considered the world's largest pilgrimage, will begin on the evening of September 5 and end the next day.
Rudaw understands that 500 Iranian pilgrims use the Khanaqin crossing point on a daily basis to visit Iraq, despite scorching temperatures in the area being between 45-50 degrees.
Wearing black dresses, Shiite men and women flock to Khanaqin's Munziriyah gate in massive numbers. The border crossing point is one of the main routes for Shiite pilgrims to reach southern Iraq.
"For me, it's a blend of sports and cycling. With faith guiding me, I aim to trace the footsteps of Imam Hussein and visit all the sacred shrines," Bezhan Mohamadi, a pilgrim cycling from Iran to Iraq, told Rudaw on Tuesday.
"My beloved Imam, who was martyred for the sake of religion and the Quran, will always be alive until the Day of Resurrection," Zaynab Jihnari, a female pilgrim said. "We die for him. We die for him and his children..."
The governor of Diyala province has sacked the mayor of Khanaqin over reports of a lack of preparations to welcome Iranian pilgrims, including accumulations of piles of litter at the border spot, which is seen as a source of nuisance for the visiting Iranians.
Along with the government's efforts, some residents of Khanaqin have set up stations inside the gate, offering water and food to the pilgrims.
The Iraqi government expects six million pilgrims worldwide to visit Karbala and Najaf this year.
"The pilgrims come from Khanaqin, and from here to Karbala and Najaf. When they arrive here, they look exhausted, so we give them water, tea, and food. We do our best to give them whatever they need because they are all too tired," said Barham Ahmed, a member of a local committee set up to welcome the visiting pilgrims.
Arbaeen marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for the death of the grandson of Prophet Mohammed, Imam Hussein, in a battle fought in the Iraqi city of Karbala in 680 AD.
Iraq has already decided to provide citizens of four countries with free entry visas into the country to take part in Arbaeen, the foreign ministry said last month.
Citizens of Pakistan, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Yemen will be granted entry visas to visit Iraq and partake in Arbaeen “for free and through any Iraqi mission,” foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmed al-Sahaf said.
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