Shiite citizens in Saudi Arabia celebrated Ashura this year in the Qatif Governorate (in the east of the Kingdom), amid praise for the official organizational efforts that contributed to facilitating and preparing the atmosphere for the establishment of this important religious celebration.
Ashura is the tenth of Muharram, the day on which God saved the Prophet Musa - peace be upon him - from Pharaoh, and the day of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein bin Ali - the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him - in Karbala.
Shiite Muslims in Saudi Arabia celebrate the Ashura season throughout the first ten days of the month of Muharram, amid extensive preparations that include several activities, including religious lectures, mourning ceremonies, art exhibitions, plays, blood donation campaigns, and food tables.
The annual occasion ceremonies were held in a number of Husseiniyas in Qatif, in addition to "Matams", which are large councils held in open spaces and accommodate a large number of those attending the rituals.
Notable Efforts
The Department of Endowments and Heritage in Qatif, along with the Qatif Municipality and the security forces, have made great efforts to facilitate the establishment of Ashura celebrations, as the security forces work to provide security and secure the cities and villages in which these celebrations are held.
Saudi Shiite citizens expressed their satisfaction with the official efforts to confront extremism and seek to promote religious tolerance, as well as the efforts of the security authorities to secure areas where mourning ceremonies are held.
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Amidst a package of security and service efforts offered to Shiites in the Kingdom..
A great success for the Ashura season in Qatif, with the cooperation of the people and the concerned authorities# An-Nahar_Nahar# News pic.twitter.com/soJrcjGF1r
- News Channel (@alekhbariyatv) August 9, 2022
Prominent religious and social figures in the Qatif Governorate also confirmed the success of the Ashura season, and the attendance of moderate religious discourse, in order to ensure the transmission of a positive image worthy of the season, stressing principles that enhance the cohesion of the national fabric, and distance from practices outside the norm that carry in it an insult to the true Islamic religion, and consider alien to Saudi society.
In this regard, the Shiite scholar Sheikh Mansour Al-Salman indicated - in statements published by Saudi media - that the government agencies in Qatif were at the level of the close relationship with citizens in everything that was for the benefit of the citizen, pointing to the suffering of these authorities is not easy due to the hot and humid weather. He praised her for making this part of her duty, which makes the citizen unable to express gratitude to them.
For his part, Sheikh Hassan Al-Saffar said, "As in every year, the people of Qatif Governorate revived Ashura this year," noting that the Ashura season's programs are massive with a large public attendance in an atmosphere of tranquility and calm.
He added, in a statement, "Every day of the tenth of Muharram, about a thousand lectures and sermons were given in the Qatif councils, attended by various segments of society, who listened to preaching and guidance that included religious knowledge and affirmed loyalty to the homeland."
Official and media attention
In addition to the attendance and official sponsorship of the Ashura season, many Saudi media outlets were keen on covering the event, as the state-run Al-Ekhbariya TV channel, and other television stations, along with many local media outlets, broadcast many video reports on the revival of the occasion in the largest Gulf countries. Arabi.
Social media platforms in Saudi Arabia also witnessed interaction and great praise for the government's sponsorship of the Ashura season this year, in addition to the circulation of videos and photos by activists on social networking sites of Shiite citizens commemorating the "Ashura" day in the Qatif Governorate.
In the new era and with the informational openness and the elimination of those who fuel strife among society, it has become possible to speak freely.
What we emphasize is respect for the beliefs of others, especially as they are held by them, and no one, including those who write to you, is obliged to attend them, and of course respect for the rule of law and the government’s appreciation in what it does
— Dr. Lamia Abdel Mohsen Al-Ibrahim (@DrLalibrahim) August 9, 2022
In a tweet to him on Twitter, the Saudi journalist, Wael Rafeeq, said: "With the cooperation of the people of Qatif and the concerned authorities, the Ashura season succeeded in Qatif, eastern Saudi Arabia, which is concerned with belonging to all sects in it (...)".
For her part, Saudi writer and doctor Lamia Al-Ibrahim praised Al-Ekhbariya channel's coverage of the Ashura season.
Al-Ibrahim wrote on Twitter: "For information, the Saudi government, since its establishment, has preserved the freedom of religious belief for all its citizens, while protecting them from extremists and terrorists, and under the sovereignty of the state and the law, and mobile phones have not failed to transport and correct misconceptions."
It is worth noting that Shiite Muslims celebrate every year on the occasion of Ashura, through pulpit events held in mosques and Husseiniyas, and witness the establishment of hundreds of councils bearing the status of religious preaching and the remembrance of the Karbala event, which is important to Shiite Muslims.