DEARBORN, United States: Marking Arbaeen al-Husayni, thousands of Muslims walked through snow and slush last Saturday in a two-mile procession through the streets of Dearborn.

The crowd chanted elegies of Imam Husayn (a.s.) as they strolled east on Warren Ave. and down Schaefer Rd. towards a park, where they gathered for the commemoration.

"The message of Imam Husayn is about justice, that all humans are born free and are equal," Mohammed Al-Najjar, 22, of Dearborn, said as he walked with the crowd through the heart of Dearborn's Arab-American community. "This is not just for Muslims, Christians, and Jews, but for all of humankind."

It was the 5th annual Arabeen march in Dearborn, a tradition that has grown in size each year. The parade attracted a range of followers: children, teenagers, elderly, men and women, from a range of ethnic backgrounds.

The majority were of Iraqi descent, but there were also Americans with roots in Lebanon, Pakistan, India and Iran. Despite the cold weather, the march drew followers from across Michigan, the Midwest and Canada.

The Dearborn March started at the Karbalaa Islamic Education Center.
Imam Husayn "was the savior of Islam," said Ahmed Mohammed, of Canton, as he walked.

Abdul Al-Shimmari, of Dearborn, uses a cane to walk. But he didn't mind ambling through the snow and cold.

"Cold weather or hot, it's not important," he said while walking along Warren Ave. "We could walk without shoes...to commemorate his sacrifice."

The mourners were dressed in black to symbolize their mourning and chanted "Ya Husayn" or "Priase Husayn" as they walked.

The procession ended at Hemlock Park, where religious leaders gave speeches on the importance of the occasion.

A group of men then gathered to tap their chests and recite lamentations as a man whacked on a bass drum to keep the beat. A group used chains to slap their backs to symbolize the suffering of Imam Husayn (a.s.) and his family.

In a part of the park, hot tea and bread sticks were served, along with platters of rice and meat. At the end, men handed out fruit and bottled water.