NPR News·5 min read·medium

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

J
Jane Arraf
Despite Mideast wars, 20 million gather in Iraq for Shia pilgrimage
AI Summary

Approximately 20 million Shia pilgrims have gathered in Karbala, Iraq, for the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage. This year's event is marked by heightened political tension following the death of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

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.

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