Four Million Iranians Predicted to Attend Arbaeen March This Year
Mohammad Jalalmaab, head of the Atabat Reconstruction Headquarters, said that given the easing of coronavirus restrictions, the number of Iranians going to Iraq on pilgrimage during the Arbaeen season is expected to rise significantly.
He said there could be 4 million Iranians attending the annual ritual in the lunar Hijri month of Safar (September).
Arbaeen, which is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, comes 40 days after Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shia Imam, Imam Hussein (AS).
Each year, a huge crowd of Shias flocks to the Iraqi city of Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussain (AS) is located, to perform mourning rites.
Iraqi officials estimate that more than 16 million pilgrims took part in the Arbaeen procession in 2021.
Due to coronavirus restrictions, the number of Iranians participating in the annual rituals was under 100,000 last year.
