Of border crossings, and the pilgrimage to Arbaeen in Karbala
[ by Charles Cameron — as one headline put it, 20 Million Shia Muslims Brave Isis by Making Pilgrimage to Karbala ]
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You may remember IS / Daesh bulldozing the berm separating Syria and Iraq (upper image, below) not so long ago:
Putting that into perspective is this image from the border between Iran and Iraq (lower image, above), as millions of pilgrims queue up there on their way to Karbala for Arbaeen, the final day of the Shia’s forty days mourning for Imam Hussein.
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At a time when the sectarian anti-Shia brutalities of Daesh / IS are capturing the attention of many in the west, the presence of Christian priests participating in the Arbaeen proceedings (upper panel, below)) echoes Pope Francis’ recent gesture in offering his prayers in the Blue Mosque in Istanbul:
The enormous turnout for Arbaeen in Karbala this year — those gathering at the shrine are reported to number 17.5 million (lower panel, above) — can be seen as a mark of Shia solidarity and devotion in the face of possible violence from Sunni jihadists.
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One tweeter posted this image of a road sign seen along the pilgrimage route early in the forty-day period of mourning:
The sign reads: If it rains Daesh, still we will visit Hussein!
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Sources:
Guardian: Isis breach of Iraq-Syria border merges two wars into one ‘nightmarish reality’ Iraq Live Update: Iran-Iraq border crossing … Millions queue to go Karbala Shafaqna: Christian priests in the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) Iraq Live Update: Largest prayer congregation in the world IB Times: 20 Million Shia Muslims Brave Isis by Making Pilgrimage to Karbala for Arbaeen
