TEHRAN – Head of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization has dismissedconcerns over the security of Arbaeen pilgrims in the wake of recent unrestin a number of Iraqi cities, saying Iranians are travelling to the Arabcountry without any problem as Iraq has ensured full security along theroutes to Karbala.
In remarks on Saturday, Alireza Rashidian said the recent protests in Iraqhave not hampered the dispatch of pilgrims visiting Iraq to pay tribute toImam Hussein (PBUH).
The Iranian travelers are going to Iraq by plane or via three land bordercrossings –Shalamche, Chazzabe and Mehran—without any trouble, he added.
Rashidian noted that Iraq has fully ensured security of the pilgrims alongthe routes to Karbala, stressing that the situation is normal in spite ofthe wrong reports by the “hostile and Western” media about the recentunrest in Iraq.
He emphasized that the Western media campaign has not had any impact on theIraqi people’s hospitality during the Arbaeen season.
According to the official, more than two million Iranians have applied totravel to Iraq for Arbaeen as of Saturday.
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Last week, Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said thenumber of Iranian pilgrims visiting Iraq for Arbaeen was expected to reachthree million.
Arbaeen, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, comes 40days after Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shiite Imam.
Every year, a huge crowd of Shiites flock to the Iraqi city of Karbala,where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (PBUH) is located, to performmourning rites.
