KARBALA: Tens of thousands of faithful flocked to the Iraqi holy city of Karbala despite the Covid-19 pandemic for the Shia Muslim pilgrimage to Arbaeen, one of the largest devotee meetings in the world.
Arbaeen marks the end of the 40-day era of mourning for the murder of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century, through fans of Caliph Yazid, and falls on Thursday.
His assassination, a defining moment in the Sunni-Shiite schism of Islam, was mourned this year at the end of the August Ashura ceremonies in Shia-majority Iraq and other countries with Shiite communities.
But unlike previous years, Iraq had closed its borders to non-citizens, allowing only citizens to participate in Ashura.
Iraq’s borders have opened for Arbaeen, but with restrictions on arrivals from Arbaeen, in an effort to stop the coronavirus.
The virus has hit Iraq hard, with more than 375,000 people inflamed and nearly 9,500 deaths.
In 2019, about 14 million Shiite pilgrims flooded Iraq to Arbaeen, about two million from neighboring Iran.
This year, however, 1,500 pilgrims according to the country are allowed to fly in Iraq, while Iran is allowed to send another 2,500 per land.
“Every day, between six and ten planes land and more arrive in the coming days,” said Issa al-Shemmari, director of Najaf Airport, a holy city south of Karbala.
According to tradition, Iraqis to Karbala for Arbaeen from all over the country.
On the roads leading to the city, “mawakib” tents have been erected to provide pilgrims with food, drinks and bulk accommodation.
“We ate along the way and had to disinfect,” pilgrim Ali Hadi told the AFP upon his arrival in Karbala from the southern city of Basra.
Only a few of the surrounding pilgrims used mouth and mouth covers despite constant calls from the government and largely ignored social distance.
On Sunday, in neighboring Saudi Arabia, masked Muslims surrounded Islam’s holiest site in Mecca along socially remote roads, while the government partially resumed Omra pilgrimage the year with many fitness precautions.
Ilyana Nisa says the public appreciates the sacrifices of the avant-garde and does her part to prevent the spread of the virus.