- Title: IRAQ: CELEBRATIONS HAVE BEGUN IN KERBALA FOR THE RELIGIOUS ASHURA ANNIVERSARY
- Date: 22nd February 2004
- Summary: (W4) KERBALA, IRAQ (FEBRUARY 22, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV OF PEOPLE WALKING IN STREET 0.05 2. LV OF IMAM HUSSEIN SHRINE WITH WORSHIPPERS GATHERED OUTSIDE 0.11 3. CLOSE-UP OF MINARETS AND GOLDEN DOME 0.15 4. SLV MEN WALKING IN PROCESSION, FLOGGING THEIR BACKS WITH CHAINS ATTACHED TO A WOODEN STICK CALLED ZINJEEL (CHAIN) OU
- Embargoed: 8th March 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: KERBALA, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVA3BX5RRZNYBZE0XFPMW620VQSK
- Story Text: Celebrations have begun in the Iraqi city of Kerbala for the religious Ashura anniversary.
Celebrations have begun in the Iraqi city of
Kerbala
for the religious Ashura anniversary of Shi'ites
commemorating the deaths in battle of two of their grand
imams some 1,400 years ago.
The formerly annual ritual in Kerbala on Sunday
(February 22) was the first since the fall of Saddam
Hussein, a member of Iraq's Sunni minority, who only
allowed this Shi'ite tradition under tight controls, if at
all.
Celebrations culminate on the tenth day, known as
Ashura.
Men flogging their backs with chains attached to wooden
sticks walk the streets of Kerbala for ten days as
participants increase daily, leading up to Ashura.
By flogging their backs, the men and young boys relive
the pain suffered by Imam al-Hussein and his followers.
Imam al-Hussein was killed by rival Ummayad Caliph
Yazid in a battle in Kerbala some 1.400 years ago.
After a 10-day siege, on the 10th of Muharram (October
10, 680 AD), Imam al-Hussein and his 72 followers were
slaughtered by Yazid's army.
Yazid became the sixth caliph, ruling from Damascus.
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