Religion

Millions of black-clad Iranians across the country, like other Shia Muslims worldwide, marked Ashura on Monday, the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shia Imam and the Prophet’s grandson, Imam Hussein (peace be upon him).

Iran is holding mourning ceremonies to mark Ashaura, the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein.

Millions of people across Iran are marking Tasu’a, the ninth day of Muharram on the lunar calendar and one day before Imam Hussein (PBUH), the third Shia Imam, was martyred in the desert of Karbala, Iraq, in 680 CE.

Iran has strongly condemned the fatal terrorist attack on a Shia neighborhood in the Afghan capital Kabul and urged the Taliban to provide the Muharram mourners with security.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has condemned Israel’s recent bloody air raids on the Gaza Strip, but reiterateed that the Palestinian nation’s resistance against “Tel Aviv’s crimes will speed up the collapse of the occupying regime.”

The leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution says everyone should act “very gracefully, logically and away from unnecessary emotions” on the issue of hijab – the Islamic dress code -- and clear reasoning must be employed to expose the western colonialist attitude in rejection of hijab.

A heated debate has been underway in the Iranian press over the holding of a massive public gathering in the capital, Tehran, attended by millions of people, to celebrate the joyous occasion of Eid al-Ghadir earlier this week.

On Monday, July 18, 2022, Tehran’s Valiasr Avenue hosted a 10-kilometer feast on the occasion of Eid Ghadir, a great Islamic Eid.

Three Iranian hajj pilgrims have died while performing the major Hajj rituals in Saudi Arabia.

Iran’s interior ministry says 50,000 Iranian pilgrims will head to the shrine cities of Iraq for Eid al-Ghadir, which falls on Monday, without any need for entry visas.

Iran’s interior minister says talks are underway with Iraq on the reopening of Khosravi border crossing to facilitate the entry of Iranian pilgrims into the country, as millions of Muslims prepare to mark the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hossein, the third Shia Imam whose shrine is located in the Iraqi city of Karbala.

The Iranian capital Tehran has held the Eid al-Adha prayers led by the temporary prayer leader of the city and chairman of the prayer leaders’ policy-making council Mohammad Javad Haj Ali Akbari.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has called for parliamentary cooperation among Muslim countries.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has congratulated the leaders of Muslim countries on Eid al-Adha in separate messages.

Tehran’s Mayor Alireza Zakani has traveled to Iraq at the head of a delegation to make the arrangements for the annual Arabaeen ceremony which marks fortieth day after martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hossein, the third Shia imam.

Iranian Hajj pilgrims have condemned some Arab governments for normalizing ties with the Zionist regime during the “denunciation of the polytheists” ritual in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, in his annual message to Hajj pilgrims, has called on Muslims across the world to forge unity as a symbol of the spiritual pilgrimage.

The spokesman for the Iranian government has said Iran and Iraq have agreed to increase the number of visits of the pilgrims of the two countries.

The Iraqi government says the country will be open to up to 50,000 Iranian pilgrims in the shrine city of Karbala for Arafat Day, which falls on July 09 this year.

Iran’s embassy in Baghdad says the land borders with Iraq has been opened to pilgrims seeking to take part in the Day of Arafat ceremonies at the holy shrines of the country.

Iran’s Hajj headquarters in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, says 30,776 Iranian pilgrims have so far arrived in the country for the major annual pilgrimage.

Saudi Arabia has drawn harsh criticism for depriving pilgrims from neighboring Yemen of embarking on the Hajj pilgrimage for the eighth consecutive year.

Iraq has made good on its promise to let Iranian pilgrims enter the country visa-free through the land border between the two countries.

With Covid-related restrictions eased worldwide, up to five million Iranian pilgrims are expected to visit Iraq later this year to join the massive march of Arba’een, which marks the 40th day after the anniversary of the third Shia Imam’s martyrdom, an official says.

The first group of Iranian Hajj pilgrims has headed to Saudi Arabia to perform the Islamic rituals.