KERBALA – Millions of mourners gathered at shrines and mosques in Kerbala and other parts of Iraq on Thursday to mark the climax of the annual ritual of Ashura with expressions of suffering.
Huge crowds came from all over the world to commemorate the slaying of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), grandson of the Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH).
Most Sunni Muslims also mourn Hussain’s (RA) death, but less fervently, and Ashura is a reminder of Sunni-Shi’ite rifts dating from disputes over the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) succession.
In the past, suicide bombers staged attacks on the mass gathering hoping to trigger sectarian tensions.