Iran’s Interior Minister in Iraq for Talks on Arbaeen Pilgrimage
Rahmani Fazli entered Iraq from the Mehran Border Crossing in western Iran on Sunday.
He met with a number of Iraqi local officials, including the governor of the Najaf province, in the holy city of Najaf yesterday.
In the meetings, the interior minister voiced Iran’s readiness for cooperation in facilitating the participation of pilgrims in the Arabeen marches.
He said some 3 million Iranian pilgrims are expected to travel to Iraq in this year’s Arabeen season.
On Monday, Rahmani Fazli traveled to Karbala to hold meetings there on preparations for Arbaeen.
Arbaeen, which is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, comes 40 days after Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shia Imam, Imam Hussein (AS).
Each year, a huge crowd of Shias flock to Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located, to perform mourning rites.
Arbaeen falls on October 19 this year.
