Shiites revive Imam al-Hussein’s arbaeen Karbala-Shiites (Feature) Aswat al Iraq

March 10, 2007

By Erdla

Shiites revive Imam al-Hussein’s arbaeen
By Ali al-Nashi

Karbala, March 10, (VOI) – Swarms of Shiite Muslims visited on Saturday the mausoleum of Imam al-Hussein Ibn Ali in the city of Karbala, 110 km

Some Sunni Muslims from Baghdad also took part in the trek in which pilgrims head from their original provinces to these shrines on foot. Ibrahim Aatta, 40, a Sunni from the predominantly Shiite Sadr City in eastern Baghdad, told VOI “rituals of the visit are not exclusive to a certain group of Muslims. We highly revere Ahl al-Bayt (the relatives of the prophet Muhammad), and follow in their footsteps.”

southwest of Baghdad, to revive the arbaeen, or the anniversary of the 40th day after the death of al-Hussein, the grandson of the prophet Muhammad.

A security source said the Iraqi forces secured all the roads from Baghdad to the holy Shiite city to protect the visitors and intensified checkpoints.
The source told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) that joint Iraqi police and army patrols escorted the processions heading for Karbala, noting there were no security breaches during the past couple of days.

Medics from the Iraqi health ministry said medical teams and ambulances also escorted the groups of pilgrims and provided medical services for them during the trip to Karbala and back home.

Karbala is believed to have the tombs of Imam al-Hussein and his brother Imam al-Abbas as well as a number of righteous religious leaders, whose memory is celebrated by Iraqi Shiite Muslims on religious occasions.

Some Sunni Muslims from Baghdad also took part in the trek in which pilgrims head from their original provinces to these shrines on foot.
Ibrahim Aatta, 40, a Sunni from the predominantly Shiite Sadr City in eastern Baghdad, told VOI “rituals of the visit are not exclusive to a certain group of Muslims. We highly revere Ahl al-Bayt (the relatives of the prophet Muhammad), and follow in their footsteps.”

Iraqi National Security Minister Shirwan al-Waili said the plan to protect the pilgrims in the province was a success.

“The efforts by the armed forces and the ministries concerned succeeded in carrying out the plan to protect millions of visitors of Karbala,” Waili said in a press conference on Saturday attended by Karbala Governor Oqeil al-Khazaali.

Waili said security agencies thwarted several attempts to target the visitors and seized a large amount of weapons.

Iraqi security men foiled an attempt to fire four anti-armor missiles in the area of al-Khayrat, 20 km east of Karbala, defused six explosive charges in the areas of al-Musayab, 30 km north of Karbala, and Hisn al-Okhayder, 50 km west of Karbala, seized 29 shells and 31 TNT units on the Karbala-Najaf highway, he said.

Khazaali said the number of pilgrims hit six million who have flooded into Karbala since Thursday, referring to “other statistics which put the number at nine million.”
Imam al-Hussein and his household were slain in the battle of Taf in the hegira calendar year of 61 (681 AD) by an army of Umayyads upon orders from Yazid Ibn Muaawiya Ibn Abi Sufyan, the second Umayyad caliph.

Shiites commemorate the event of arbaeen by undertaking the pilgrimage to Karbala, the site of Imam Hussein’s death, and observe Shiite rites of self-mortification, chanting and drumbeating in procession