Shiites in Iraq, Lebanon and Pakistan chanted, paraded and beat their chests on Tuesday as they marked Ashoura, one of the most important dates on the religious calendar, commemorating the 7th century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson Hussein.
Iraqi Shiites take part in Ashura that marks the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and members of his immediate family in the Battle of Karbala, in Karbala, Iraq, Monday, Aug. 8, 2022.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of people converge on Karbala, some 80 kilometers south of Baghdad, to observe the solemn holy day. Security forces were on high alert for any violence, as Sunni extremist groups that consider the Shiites heretics have seized on the occasion to mount attacks in years past.
In Iraq, the powerful cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has used the emotional religious occasion to stir up support for his movement, deepening the country’s inter-Shiite divisions. Unable to form a government, Iraq descended further into political chaos last week when thousands of al-Sadr’s supporters stormed and occupied the parliament building. Their sit-in continues outside the assembly, making it impossible for lawmakers to convene and raising the specter of civil strife.
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