Zareena Fatima, 67, an Iraqi woman living near Karbala, set up a temporary makeshift shelter alongside a road close to Karbala. She has been doing this for the last 18 years, aiming to serve Shia pilgrims who come from different parts of the world. “I sold my jewelry like gold and saved my annual earnings just for the Arbaeen gathering. I serve the pilgrims so that Imam Hussain’s message can be conveyed throughout the world,” Fatima told the author.
Fatima is just one of millions of Shia Muslims across the globe who travel to Iraq to participate in the world’s largest annual peaceful gathering, known as Arbaeen, every year. For Shia Muslims, who make up the majority in Iran and Iraq, Arbaeen, which translates to “40” in Arabic, is a significant occasion and one of the largest religious gatherings in the world. The event marks the 40th day of mourning of Prophet Mohammad’s grandson, Imam Hussain, who was killed by the Umayyad ruler Yazid bin Mu’awiya. He assumed the charge following the death of his father, Muawiya.
Despite the sweltering temperature, 22 million pilgrims from different schools of thought participated in the annual event. This year, temperatures topped 50°C, with pilgrims being cooled down with sprayed water during their walk to Karbala before visiting the holy shrines.
Between the shrines of the Prophet’s grandson, Hussain, and his son-in-law, Imam Ali, pilgrims of different ages and nationalities travel 80 kilometers from the city of Najaf to Karbala. They frequently return from the walk feeling famished and exhausted, but their love for all people has spiritually rejuvenated them. It is thought that one’s sins are being forgiven with each step.
To protect the safety of those participating, Iraqi officials block off hundreds of miles of road, and local and international charities set up stations called “mawkibs” along the route, providing free food, drink, sweet tea and shelter for those who need it.
From a security point of view, the Arbaeen gathering has always been a challenging factor for the security grid in Iraq. In the past, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) carried out multiple suicide attacks, killing hundreds of Shia pilgrims who had been on their way toward Karbala. This year, the Iraqi Government foiled a plot by ISIS terrorists to carry out an attack on the Arbaeen gathering.
The governor of Karbala, Nasif Jassim al-Khattabi, stated that his governorate’s Al-Suqur (Falcons) intelligence organization conducted an intelligence operation with a high degree of accuracy and secrecy.
Twenty-two ISIS terrorists were apprehended who intended to commit crimes, such as setting roadside bombs along the Arbaeen pilgrims’ path, attacking security personnel and religious procession participants, and trying to contaminate the pilgrims’ gathering spots, particularly in the southern regions of the governorate.
Why do Shia Muslims support Palestine?
The Shia world’s center is Karbala, where Hussain and his brother Abbas are buried in two massive mausoleums facing one another. In honor of Hussain, who died in 680 in a fight with the Umayyad caliph Yazid in Karbala, pilgrims openly express their anguish by crying and lamenting. In light of the conflict in Gaza, pilgrims have prominently displayed Palestinian flags throughout the event.
On October 7, 2023, a Hamas-led onslaught on southern Israel claimed an estimated 1,139 lives. The Israeli counterattack on Gaza has proven to be devastating. According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, Israel has murdered over 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza. People across the Muslim world are in a state of shock over the bitterness of the conflict and have expressed their sympathy for the Palestinians through a variety of political rallies and religious gatherings. Approximately 21 million pilgrims attended the Arbaeen celebrations this year, which are always held under strict security.
This year, the official slogan of the Arbaeen gathering was “Inna Ala Al-Ahd-Ahd,” an Arabic phrase which means “we are in the covenant”, to show loyalty to the ideals and principles of Imam Hussain. Keeping this year’s theme in mind, Syed Ajaz, 35, from India’s Uttar Pradesh, traveled to Iraq just to fulfill his religious responsibility in the annual Arbaeen gathering.
While speaking with the freelance journalist Sameer Hussain, Syed Ajaz says that as a Shia Muslim, it is incumbent upon them to support the oppressed class of society. “The state of Israel has imposed a war of starvation on Gaza. I’m taking part in the Arbaeen gathering just to express my solidarity with the people of Palestine,” Syed told the author.
There is no official order in India to control pro-Palestine protests, yet pro-Palestine voices have been criminally charged since the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel.
India has criminalized pro-Palestine voices by booking 51 people for holding pro-Palestine demonstrations. To avoid being arrested, Syed Ajaz thought that Iraq was a suitable place to protest against Israeli war crimes.
“The Modi government has booked dozens of people involved in pro-Palestine protests. I saved my annual earnings just for the Arbaeen walk, and registered my protest peacefully over there,” Syed added.
What connects Gaza and Iraq’s Karbala? Fundamentally, it is a common tale of resisting persecution and not allowing tyranny to crush hope. Let’s examine it more closely. Hussain chose truth and stood alone against an unjust tyrant in 680 CE.
With an unwavering resolve, people in Gaza today fight occupation and voicelessness in the face of overwhelming power. Pilgrims who spoke with the author described Arbaeen as a collective call for justice and dignity, a protest in motion, and termed this walk a campaign — a nonviolent demonstration that utilizes social media to spread the word about ending the suffering in Gaza.
Speaking with the author, Islamic Scholar Sheeraz Hussain said that “It is the greatest manifestation of unity and solidarity that has no parallel anywhere else in the world.” He says Arbaeen carries a message. The purpose of Arbaeen is that the sacrifice of Imam Hussain (A.S.) should not be considered merely a historical event, but should be kept alive, so that the message of “Hayhat minna al-dhilla” (No to humiliation) continues forever in the face of oppression.
“Arbaeen is not just a gathering; it is a unique way of acting upon the sayings and deeds of Imam Hussain (A.S.) that we must always stand against tyranny and oppressors. This is why we raise the flag of Palestine,” Sheeraz told Sameer Hussain.
Hussain’s will to oppose oppressors
When Yazid, the son of Mu’awiya, came to power in 680, Islam’s basic principles and foundations were changed. Yazeed wanted all Muslims to pledge their allegiance to him. Hussain, the son of the Prophet Mohammad’s grandson, was the main target of Yazid. When Hussain was formally given Yazid’s ultimatum, he deftly requested some time at night to consider it.
He was granted this time after a difficult negotiation. He took his family and left for the safety of Mecca that night, while everyone was sound asleep. Fighting in the Holy City was severely prohibited for Muslims. Many Shi’as followed him. Denying Yazeed’s allegiance, Hussain took a firm stand against Yazeed’s tyrannical rule. Hussain announced to all: “Hal Min Nasirin Yan Surna”, an Arabic phrase that means, “Is there anyone who can help my cause?” This announcement cost Hussain 73 lives of his noble companions, including his six-month-old son, Ali Asghar.
Carrying forward the message of Hussain, Shia Muslims believe that Imam Hussain didn’t bow to Yazid. “His message has a lot of relevance today. Arbaeen serves as a global protest against countries that have committed human rights violations,” says a Shia pilgrim, Syeda Hijab Zehra, 20, who came from Pakistan.
She adds that Karbala is a symbol of oppression and today, Palestine too is suffering under tyranny and injustice. “In the time of Imam Hussain (A.S.), the greatest issue facing Islam was the rule of Yazid, and today the greatest issue is the rule of Zionism.” Apart from religious pilgrimage, the Arbaeen gathering serves as a powerful protest for issues affecting the Shiite community around the region.
[Patrick Bodovitz edited this piece.]
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.
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