- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Stampede at Iraqi Shiite Shrine Leaves 31 Dead, 100 Injured - Video

© REUTERS / THAIER AL-SUDANI Shi'ite Muslims men flagellate themselves during a ceremony marking Ashura in the holy city of Kerbala, Iraq, September 10, 2019
 Shi'ite Muslims men flagellate themselves during a ceremony marking Ashura in the holy city of Kerbala, Iraq, September 10, 2019 - Sputnik International
Subscribe
Ashura is one of the most sacred religious holy days for Shiite Muslims, a day that commemorates the killing of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Imam Hussein, by a rival Muslim faction in Iraq, in 680 A.D.

The Iraqi Health Ministry said Tuesday that at least 31 people have been killed, while 100 have been injured in a stampede in the Iraqi city of Karbala.

​​Ashura was banned during the rule of Saddam Hussein; today, however, it's a national holiday, with streets across the country shuttered to allow for elaborate re-enactments of the Battle of Karbala.

Thousands of pilgrims flood the streets of Karbala every year to celebrate the killing of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Imam Hussein. Many of the worshippers beat their chests and lash themselves with chains in an expression of grief and regret for not being able to help the murdered grandson of the Prophet.

The processions usually occur under heightened security as in recent years they have been attacked by extremist militants from the Sunni movement.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала