Despite Mideast wars, 20 million gather in Iraq for Shia pilgrimage

Large crowds of pilgrims fill the area between the two holy shrines in Karbala at sunset, with the illuminated dome and minarets of Imam Hussein's shrine visible in the background during the Arbaeen commemoration. Mohammed Sawaf for NPR hide caption

KARBALA, IRAQ – In the holy city of Karbala during the commemoration of Arbaeen, the story of the killing of Imam Hussein 1,400 years ago, resonates down through the centuries. It's in the plastic containers of cold water handed to sweltering pilgrims, not just for hydration but in remembrance of the water denied to the Imam and his followers before they were killed by a powerful army.

For many of the 20 million pilgrims attending this year, the killing this year of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his family by Israel and the United States is a thundering echo of grave injustice against the Shia Muslims. Iran said more than three million of its pilgrims attended Arbaeen ceremonies in Karbala.

A pilgrim raises his hands and chants amid the crowds during mourning rituals inside the Imam Hussein Shrine in Karbala during the Arbaeen commemoration. Mohammed Sawaf for NPR hide caption

A man carries a large banner featuring a portrait of Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei amid crowds of pilgrims on a street in Karbala during Arbaeen. Mohammed Sawaf for NPR hide caption

Some, like Maryam Ghanbari, showed their devotion by walking 200 miles from the Iranian border.

"More people came to Arbaeen this year because they want to avenge Agha's blood," said Ghanbari, using the Persian honorific for the slain Iranian leader. This was the ninth pilgrimage for the municipal worker from Mazandaran province.

Arbaeen commemorates the beheading of Imam Hussein in 680 in the Battle of Karbala, when the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed was killed in a dispute over who should become the heir to the faith's founder. It was the moment that caused the schism between the Shia, who followed Hussein – and the Sunnis, who gathered around his rival.