French Envoy to Iraq Calls Arbaeen Procession Largest Assembly of People in World
The governors of the Arab country’s Karbala and Basra governorates accompanied Chevalier as he toured the holy city, Noon news website reported.
He expressed surprise at the huge number of pilgrims who have travelled to Karbala to mark Arbaeen.
He also lauded the services provided to pilgrims by the governorate and people of Karbala and moukebs.
The French envoy also met with Sheikh Abdul Mahdi Al-Karbalayi, the custodian of the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS).
During the meeting, Chevalier described the Arbaeen procession as the largest gathering of people in the world.
He commended the social concord and collective cooperation in organizing the Arbaeen rituals and serving the large number of pilgrims.
Millions of black-clad pilgrims gathered at Imam Hussein’s (AS) holy shrine in Karbala on Saturday to culminate a week-long procession in commemoration of the 40th day after the martyrdom anniversary of Prophet Mohammad’s (PBUH) grandson, who was killed along with his companions during the battle of Karbala in 680 AD.
Men, women, teens and elders came together in the Iraqi city to pay tribute and renew their allegiance to Imam Hussein (AS), who is the all-time icon of fighting injustice, oppression and despotism.
The annual event, which is one of the largest religious congregations in the world, brings together a deluge of Imam Hussein’s (AS) lovers and devotees from various nationalities who undertake an 80-km walk between the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala.
The tradition, which attracts millions of people from across the world every year, is meant to sympathize with Imam Hussein (AS) on the pains he endured in the event of Karbala, where he and 72 of his companions were brutally slaughtered by Yazid's army.
The ceremony is also fervently observed by Muslims in their own countries across the world.
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