Millions of Muslims from across the world have taken the journey to Iraq’s Karbala to attend this year’s Arbaeen ceremony.
Millions of people from across the world, mostly Shia Muslims, have begun their journey to Iraq to reach the land of Karbala for honoring the annual ceremony of Arbaeen, the 40th day of the martyrdom of Imam Hossein bin Ali, a central figure in Shia Islam and the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
Every year, large crowds in their millions visit the shrines of Imam Hussein and his half-brother Abbas in Karbala, where they were killed in a revolt against the Umayyad ruler Yazeed in the 7th century AD after they refused to pledge allegiance to Yazeed’s Umayyad caliphate. For Muslims, visiting the holy shrines is considered a virtuous act, rewarded by Allah.
The ceremony, which is marked as the largest religious gathering in the world, is expected to draw over 22 million participants this year.
A journey to Karbala all on foot!
The Arbaeen ceremony is unique in the sense that not only it draws millions of people worldwide to Iraq every year, but also because the long distance to Karbala is taken all on food. The most popular route is Najaf to Karbala, as many pilgrims first travel to Najaf and then walk from there to Karbala, some 80 kilometers away, which takes about 3 days on foot. Along the way, volunteers provide the pilgrims with free meals and services.
“The people of Iraq warmly welcome pilgrims from around the world, offering them free food, drinks, and accommodation,” says Sheikh Hussein Khoshnaw, Imam and preacher at the Ayatollah Hakim Husseiniyah in Sulaimaniyah. This year’s Arbaeen is set to take place this year on 25 August.
Karbala’s Provincial Council Chairman, Qasim Al-Yasiri, also said that local authorities “have completed all necessary preparations” to accommodate the pilgrims.
“There is substantial support from the central government, including exemptions for Karbala from scheduled power cuts and continuous fuel supplies to prevent shortages during the 24-hour vehicle operations,” Al-Yasiri said.
In addition, government spokesperson Haider Majid also announced that all government resources have been mobilized for this year’s Arbaeen pilgrimage. “Intensified efforts are underway at border crossings, with increased staffing and expanded entry points to handle the influx of pilgrims,” Majid said.
Asserting that Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity is on high alert to ensure an uninterrupted power supply, particularly in Karbala and Najaf, Majid also assured pilgrims that the Ministry of Transport has prepared a significant fleet of buses to manage the increased traffic.
Iraq is safe during Arbaeen, security officials say
Amid fears that ISIS forces in and around their last major stronghold of Mosul may seek to strike Baghdad or Karbala during Arbaeen, Iraqi security officials have said that large-scale security operations, involving 24,000 soldiers and police, have also been put in place during this year’s Arabeen walk to assure the pilgrims that the rout to Karbala is safe.
“On the security front, we have outlined the comprehensive measures in place to safeguard the event,” said Brigadier General Miqdad Miri, spokesperson for Iraq’s High Security Committee overseeing the Arbaeen pilgrimage.
“A robust security presence has been deployed along the pilgrimage routes, supported by intelligence efforts, patrols, and fixed security points,” Miri also noted.
