Cleric Urges Family Participation in Arbaeen March

IQNA – An official with Iran’s Arbaeen Central Headquarters said the participation of families in the annual Arbaeen march helps to strengthen the foundation of family.

Speaking to IQNA, Hojat-ol-Islam Hamid Ahmadi, the head of the headquarters’ cultural and educational committee, said family presence in the Arbaeen procession is an opportunity and it should be encouraged. 

He said the issue of family has been put high on the agenda in this year’s Arbaeen after late Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi proposed a global movement of supporting committed family, which was approved at the UN General Assembly.

Forums and negotiations have been held on the issue with the Iraqi side and the officials of the women’s committee of the Arbaeen Headquarters will also travel to the Arab country soon for more talks, he noted.

He hoped that the great potential of the presence of families in the pilgrimage will be recognized properly.

The Arbaeen mourning ceremony is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.

It marks the 40th day after Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS). This year’s Arbaeen is expected to fall on August 25, depending on the moonsighting.

Each year, a huge crowd of Shias flock to Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located, to perform mourning rites.

The pilgrims, mainly from Iraq and Iran, travel long routes on foot to the holy city.

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