Arbaeen nears climax in Iraq; Hundreds bleed paying homage to Imam Hussain (a)

By: Ismail Zabeeh

HOLY CITY OF KARBALA, Iraq: Nearly three million pilgrims from Iraq, Iran and other countries have converged on the holy Shrine of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) in the holy city of Karbala to observe Arbaeen-e-Hussaini, or the fortieth of Chief of the Martyrs Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) on Tuesday and Wednesday for the first time in decades.

Beating their chests and pounding their backs with blades, hundreds of men in white robes slashed open their heads with long sharp swords in front of Imam Hussain (AS)'s Shrine shedding their blood to pay rich tributes to the grandson of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SAWW), Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) who rendered matchless, unparalleled and eternal sacrifice along with his 72 diehard companions in the burning plain of Karbala for defense of Islam and survival of humanity achieving the title of "Zibh-e-Azeem".

Such rituals had been banned for decades under the rule of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

Inside the holy shrine, multitudes of the faithful beat their chests and screamed 'Ya Hussain, Ya Hussain'. Entering the shrine, men fell on their hands and knees. Others shuffled muttering prayers and many sobbed and groaned, holding their heads in their hands, while some crawling into the shrine on all fours in a sign of humility before Imam Hussain (AS).

Many crawled on their stomachs into the shrine fulfilling their vows. They had vowed to crawl into Karbala if they will achieve the honour of visiting the shrine.

Sabeel-e-Hussaini were also setup. Weather on Tuesday was 90-degree heat and blazing sun.

The commemoration of Arbaeen-e-Hussaini will culminate on Thursday. Arbaeen falls on 23 April Wednesday.

No US-led troops appeared in the Sacred City in order to avoid any friction with the pilgrims of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS). At one of the entrances to Karbala, members of the Free Iraqi Forces, the military wing of the Iraqi National Congress wearing black headbands as a symbol of mourning, were seen checking vehicles.

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