Iraq: despite the Covid, the authorities maintain the Arbain and welcome foreigners
Pilgrims gather in Kerbala, Iraq on October 7, 2020. REUTERS / Abdullah Dhiaa Al-Deen
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It is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world: Shiite Muslims are celebrating Arbain this Thursday.
Each year in Iraq, nearly 20 million pilgrims in Kerbala commemorate the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet of Islam, buried in this holy city.
But despite the coronavirus epidemic, the Iraqi authorities have decided to maintain the event and even to welcome foreign visitors.
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For Baghdad, there is no question of canceling Arbain.
Despite the health crisis, the Iraqi government is opening the doors to the mausoleums of Kerbala and this year authorizes the entry into its territory of 1,500 pilgrims by plane for each country.
Iran, a big influential neighbor, also has the right to preferential treatment: 2,500 additional pilgrims by land.
“
I have just seen pilgrims from the Sultanate of Oman but also Lebanese pilgrims,”
says Jassam Assaadi, one of the spokespersons for the holy places of Kerbala.
I can determine the origin of a pilgrim thanks to his clothes generally.
"
Last year, during Arbain, 10 of the 14 million pilgrims were Iraqis.
So, despite the quotas imposed by Baghdad on foreigners, the crowd may be very important.
But Jassam Assaadi wants to be reassuring: “
We have prepared to welcome all these Iraqi and foreign pilgrims.
Everything is constantly disinfected, we distribute masks, we have set up field hospitals, and we even have small electric ambulances so that we can move in the middle of the crowds and intervene quickly if necessary.
"
This year in Kerbala, the processions of pilgrims may also meet those of the demonstrators.
For the first time since the start of the popular protest against power, violence broke out this week in the walls of the holy places.
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