IRAQ: Hundreds of thousands Shi'ite Muslims gather in the Iraqi shrine city of Kerbala to mark the Ashura ritual

Record ID: 710625

  • Title: IRAQ: Hundreds of thousands Shi'ite Muslims gather in the Iraqi shrine city of Kerbala to mark the Ashura ritual
  • Date: 13th November 2013
  • Summary: KERBALA, IRAQ (NOVEMBER 13, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SHI'ITE PILGRIMS GATHERING AT STREET NEAR HOLY SHRINE OF IMAM HUSSEIN TO TAKE PART IN CEREMONY SHI'ITE PILGRIMS CARRYING AND WAVING BLACK BANNERS MORE OF PILGRIMS CLAD IN BLACK CHANTING RELIGIOUS HYMNS AND WAVING BANNERS PILGRIMS BEATING THEIR CHESTS VARIOUS OF PILGRIMS HITTING THEMSELVES ON THE BACK WITH WHIPS PILG
  • Embargoed: 28th November 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Iraq
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA3R8R74ON5AAD2D45847ZH5HNT
  • Story Text: Shi'ite Muslims gathered in their thousands in Kerbala on Wednesday (November 13) to observe an annual ritual of mourning, an event that reaches its peak on Thursday (November 14_.
    Ashura is the most important and dramatic annual rite distinguishing Shi'ite Muslims from Sunnis and it has become a show of strength for Iraq's long-repressed majority sect. The ritual commemorates Imam Hussein who died more than 1,000 years ago.
    People gathered, clad in black, beat their chests and their heads while others flagellated themselves with whips, chanting hymns outside the holy Shrine of Imam Hussein, prophet Mohammed's grandson Hussein, who was killed in Kerbala in 680 AD.
    Over a million pilgrims are expected to flock to Kerbala, south of Baghdad, by Thursday for the culmination of Ashura.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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