Shafaq News- Dhi Qar
Braving extreme summer temperatures,more than 1,500 Iraqis from Dhi Qar province have embarked on a 90-kilometer(56-mile) walk across the desert to the holy city of Karbala for Arbaeen, oneof the world's largest annual religious gatherings, which draws millions ofShiite Muslim pilgrims to Iraq each year.
Mustafa Jawad, head of the Al-Zahraapilgrimage group from Al-Nasr district, told Shafaq News that the group hasmade the two- to three-day journey from the Al-Ukhaidir Shrine to Karbala forthe past 22 years.
Jawad explained that the pilgrimagecommemorates Imam Hussein bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad,who was killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. Pilgrims also expresssolidarity with Sayyida Zainab, Hussein's sister, and the surviving members ofhis family, who, according to Islamic tradition, were taken captive and marchedto Damascus after the battle.
As the procession advances towardKarbala, worshippers from other parts of Iraq join along the route, increasingits numbers to around 4,000 by the time it reaches the holy city.
