A top Iranian commander Friday assured Iranian pilgrims that they can attend religious ceremonies in Iraq in a state of full security as Shia Muslims prepare to go to Karbala on Arbaeen, the 40th day after the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein.
Speaking to reporters in Iran’s northeastern city of Mashhad on Friday, Lieutenant Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force Brigadier General Esmail Qa’ani said plans for security during Arbaeen has been devised following joint meetings between Iranian and Iraqi officials.
“Massive plans are underway in Iraq to counter the possible threats posed by the ISIL (the so-called Isalmic State in Iraq and the Levant),” noted the commander.
The Arbaeen ceremony, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, falls on December 13 this year.
Millions of Shia Muslim will flock the holy city of Karbala to mark the 40th day after the anniversary of the martyrdom of their 3rd Imam, Imam Hussein.
This year’s ceremonies come against the backdrop of terrorist attacks by the ISIL militants who made swift advances in northern and western Iraq over the summer.
However, a combination of concentrated attacks by the Iraqi military and the popular forces, who rushed to take arms after top Iraqi cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani issued a fatwa calling for fight against the militants, have blunted the edge of the ISIL offensive.
A top Iranian commander Friday assured Iranian pilgrims that they can attend religious ceremonies in Iraq in a state of full security as Shia Muslims prepare to go to Karbala on Arbaeen, the 40th day after the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein.
7 December 2014 - 09:21
News ID: 656534
