A Record-Breaking Arbaeen
This year, over 21 million Shiite pilgrims journeyed to Kerbala, Iraq, to participate in the Arbaeen, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world. The event reached its climax on Sunday after several days of commemoration, marked by an overwhelming show of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.
Historic and Religious Significance
Arbaeen, meaning ‘forty’ in Arabic, signifies the 40th day of mourning for Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad and a seminal figure in Shiism. Kerbala, where Imam Hussein and his brother Abbas are buried, transforms into the epicenter of the Shiite world during this time. Pilgrims openly mourn and remember Imam Hussein, who was martyred in 680 by the Umayyad caliph Yazid’s troops in a battle at Kerbala.
Solidarity with Gaza
This year, the Arbaeen commemoration took on an additional layer of significance with the visible presence of Palestinian flags among the crowd. Photographers captured images of believers in the streets of Kerbala and under the golden domes of the mausoleums, holding these flags. According to the institution managing Abbas’s mausoleum, the total number of Arbaeen pilgrims reached 21,480,525. This included around 3.5 million Iranian pilgrims, based on official reports from Tehran.
Unified Stance Against Injustice
Speaking to AFPTV, Mohammed Al-Tamimi, a pilgrim in his thirties, noted the solidarity shown to their Palestinian brothers. « Today, in the holy city of Kerbala, we see the Palestinian flag waving among pilgrims in support of the people of Palestine, » he said. Al-Tamimi added, « Muslims are united against the actions of the Zionists and the crimes committed in Gaza. » The Arbaeen commemoration, always held under tight security, drew around 22 million pilgrims in 2023, with Iran setting a new record of participation with four million visitors.
