Tehran mayor in Iraq for Arabaeen preparations

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.

During his trip, Zakani will meet with the governors of the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala and the custodians of holy shrines in several cities in Iraq.

The Islamic Republic of Iran and neighboring Iraq are boosting cooperation to step up security for the ceremony.

On Wednesday, Iranian Deputy Interior Minister for Security and Law Enforcement Seyyed Majid Mir Ahmadi, in a meeting with Iraq’s Minister of Interior Othman al-Ghanimi in Baghdad, signed two memoranda of understanding on border security cooperation.

Iraq has removed visa requirements for Iranian pilgrims who have received at least two doses of the coronavirus vaccine.

The Arbaeen mourning ceremony, which commemorates the fortieth day after the martyrdom of the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Imam Hussein (AS) over 14 centuries ago, is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.

Every year, millions of Muslims from Iran, Iraq and many other countries set out on an 80-kilometer-long walk from the holy city of Najaf, where Imam Hussein’s father Imam Ali (AS)’s shrine is located, to Imam Hussein’s shrine in Karbala.

Covid-19 pandemic had put a damper on the mourning ceremony for the past two years but the event is expected to reach its peak after Coronavirus-related restrictions have been eased.

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