Iran to send 30,000 of those serving in Arbaeen Moukebs to Iraq: Official

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Iran will send 30,000 individuals who serve in Moukebs during the annual Arbaeen march to Iraq, an official said.

Hossein Zolfaqari, head of Iran’s Arbaeen Headquarters, said that the Baghdad government has announced that it would allow 30,000 Iranians to take part in the Arbaeen march this year.

He added that because it is far lower than the number of Iranians applying to take part in the annual ritual, it was decided that only 30,0000 of those who serve in Moukebs will be sent to Iraq.

Moukebs are resting places with special facilities and services for pilgrims set up on roads leading to Karbala during Arbaeen pilgrimage.

Zolfaqari noted that according to the announcement from Baghdad, the foreign Arbaeen pilgrims must enter Iraq via airports and have a negative PCR test certificate.

He urged people not to go to the borders with Iraq, stressing that Baghdad will not allow pilgrims to enter the Arab country via land borders.

Arbaeen, which is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, comes 40 days after Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shia Imam, Imam Hussein (AS).

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

Many of them walk all the way from Najaf to Karbala.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Baghdad had decided to bar all foreign pilgrims from visiting Iraq for last year’s Arbaeen.

This year, Arbaeen falls on September 27.

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