Millions converging at Karbala to mark Arbaeen

By: Ismail Zabeeh

HOLY CITY OF KARBALA, Iraq: Hundreds of thousands of Husseini mourners are descending day by day on the holy city of Karbala to mark the oncoming occasion of Arbaeen-e-Husseini, or the fortieth day after the martyrdom of grandson of Prophet Muhammed (p) Master of Martyrs Al-Imam Al-Hussein (p) along with his 72 faithful companions in the burning desert of this holy city.

Karbala is home to the holy mausoleums of Al-Imam Al-Hussein bin Ali (p) and his brother Al-Abbas bin Ali (p) that now a day are crammed with visitors round the clock.

Mourners including men, women and children, some bare-footed, while holding standards of Al-Abbas bin Ali (p) march towards this holy city from different parts of the globe as well as from across Iraq in form of caravans and groups daily. Several million mourners are expected to gather here to commemorate Arbaeen.

Arbaeen-e-Husseini, which falls on this weekend, 20th day of 2nd month of Islamic calendar - Safar, approaches after 40 days of brutal attacks on Ashura processions in Karbala and Kazemayn that left some 271 husseini mourners and visitors martyred.

According to reports, coalition forces, Iraqi police and different local militias that work under different religious leaders have made strict security arrangements to prevent any such incident on Arbaeen-e-Husseini as anniversary of fall of Saddam regime also comes in the same week.

Brigadier General Mark Camet, vice chief operations in the US-led coalition said that coalition forces worked and planned much but no one can guarantee that such attacks would not happen in future. The coalition tries its best possible efforts in this regard.

Meanwhile, daily majalis-e-aza continue in all parts of Iraq in commemoration of the tragic event of Karbala which occurred some 1,400 years ago.

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