After violence scare, Iranian pilgrims resume Arbaeen in Iraq

Record ID: 1687303

  • Title: After violence scare, Iranian pilgrims resume Arbaeen in Iraq
  • Date: 31st August 2022
  • Summary: NAJAF, IRAQ (AUGUST 31, 2022) (REUTERS) PILGRIMS WALKING IN STREET VARIOUS OF VOLUNTEERS DISTRIBUTING TEA TO PILGRIMS MAN CARRYING LUGGAGE ENTERING HOTEL VARIOUS OF PILGRIMS AND LUGGAGE FILLING THE LOBBY OF 'HOTEL RAOF' WITH HOTEL OWNER, KARIM KHERSAN, BEHIND THE RECEPTION DESK (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) OWNER OF 'HOTEL RAOF', KARIM KHERSAN, SAYING: "Of course, after the regrettable incidents that happened in Iraq, travel has been impacted. The situation of hotels, bookings were canceled, hotels were emptied, a number of pilgrims left. Most of the countries asked their citizens to leave. But at the moment, thank God, after the initiative of the Sayyed (Moqtada al-Sadr) to put an end to the situation in Baghdad, the pilgrims have returned as usual." PILGRIMS IN HOTEL LOBBY NAJAF, IRAQ (AUGUST 30, 2022) (REUTERS) CROWD OF PILGRIMS WALKING IN THE STREET VARIOUS OF PILGRIMS FROM IRAN QUEUING WITH THEIR LUGGAGE NEAR BUS TO TRAVEL BACK TO IRAN PILGRIMS GATHERED AROUND VEHICLE KHERSAN IN HOTEL LOBBY AS IRANIAN PILGRIM, RASOUL MIRADAEI, IS CHECKING OUT (MUTE) (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRANIAN PILGRIM, RASOUL MIRADEI, SAYING: "I am part of an Iranian caravan, we came to Najaf and were meant to go to Kadhimiya and Samarra but because of the turmoil we cannot go, and borders are closed, no one should come. We will go to the border this afternoon to go back to Iran." LUGGAGE IN HOTEL LOBBY WITH PILGRIMS IN THE BACKGROUND, WAITING TO DEPART (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) OWNER OF 'HOTEL RAOF', KARIM KHERSAN, SAYING: "Right now, they canceled, they left. Those who had booked and are here are now checking out to leave. Because they are scared, they don't know how the situation will evolve here. And all this is hitting us. We struggled to get Iranian pilgrims here, because before, we had the (2019) protests, the coronavirus (pandemic) and the economic situation is bad." PEOPLE WALKING IN THE OLD CITY NAJAF, IRAQ (AUGUST 31, 2022) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) VARIOUS OF CROWDED INDOOR MARKET (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRANIAN PILGRIM, ALI MAHMOUDZADEH, SAYING: "We are here at the time of domestic tensions, but there is no problem for us. Movement and pilgrimage are ongoing. In about two days, we will go to Karbala for our pilgrimage to Imam Hussein and Hazrat Abolfazl (Abu al-Fadl). We have not seen any problems, we can move easily, we are very happy to be here, stores are open, pilgrims are shopping, and so on." VARIOUS OF PILGRIMS SHOPPING IN FABRIC STORE NAJAF, IRAQ (AUGUST 31, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF VOLUNTEERS DISTRIBUTING TEA IN THE STREET VOLUNTEERS STIRRING LARGE POTS
  • Embargoed: 14th September 2022 13:53
  • Keywords: Arbaeen pilgrimage Clashes Iran Iraq Najaf
  • Location: NAJAF, IRAQ
  • City: NAJAF, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Middle East
  • Reuters ID: LVA001170531082022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Shiite pilgrims trickled back to Iraq's holy city of Najaf on Wednesday (August 31) after many were prompted to leave when Iran closed its borders with Iraq following violence in the capital.
    "We are here at the time of domestic tensions," Iranian pilgrim Ali Mahmoudzadeh said in Najaf, on his way to the Shi’ite holy city of Kerbala for the annual Arbaeen ritual.
    Millions of Iranians travel to the Iraqi city of Kerbala every year for the occasion, which marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, Imam Hussein.
    Arbaeen falls on September 16-17 this year.
    Tehran had closed its borders and halted flights to Iraq amid an eruption of violence in the neighboring country following Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's announcement on Monday (August 29) that he would quit politics. 
    On Tuesday (August 30), pilgrims were seen boarding buses in Najaf to head back to Iran.
    Bookings at his hotel were all but cancelled while Iranian pilgrims already in Najaf checked out, hotel owner Karim Khersan said.
    Khersan underlined the importance of foreign pilgrims as an annual source of income during Shi'ite religious festivals amid a fragile economic situation.
    "Before, we had the (2019) protests, the coronavirus (pandemic)", Khersan said, adding that pilgrims from Iran had however started to flock back after violence ceased and Iran reopened its border.
    "We are very happy to be here, stores are open, pilgrims are shopping" Mahmoudzadeh said.
    Iran reopened its border with Iraq to travelers on Tuesday (August 30) shortly after Sadr called on his supporters to withdraw from the streets, state media reported.
    (Production: Ahmed Saeed, Charlotte Bruneau)
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