Greetings from Karbala, Iraq, where millions gathered for a Shia pilgrimage

Millions gathered in Karbala, Iraq, for a Shia pilgrimage Pilgrims came to Iraq from all over the world in August.

Key points

• Every year, more than 20 million Shia Muslims gather in this small city to commemorate Arbaeen.
• I saw images of a soulful-looking Imam Hussein everywhere, including for sale as wall hangings.
• Pilgrims fly into Iraq from all over the world.
• But the atmosphere around the pilgrimage is decidedly noncommercial.
• NPR does not offer or accept funds for coverage or interviews.

Hello from Karbala in central Iraq. Every year, more than 20 million Shia Muslims gather in this small city to commemorate Arbaeen. It took place earlier this month. It marks the killing of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, 14 centuries ago, a defining moment in Shia Islam.

Pilgrims fly into Iraq from all over the world. The temperature is more than 110 degrees in August but plenty of Iraqi and Iranian pilgrims walk for hundreds of miles to mark the sorrowful event. Outside the shrines, though, the atmosphere is almost festive.

I saw images of a soulful-looking Imam Hussein everywhere, including for sale as wall hangings. There were more portraits than usual this year of Iran's former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed by the U.S. In February and considered a martyr in Iran.

But the atmosphere around the pilgrimage is decidedly noncommercial. The shrine area and highways leading to Karbala are lined for weeks before with hospitality tents, where volunteers cook and hand out free food, everything from bean stew to grilled chicken. It's tough to walk down the street without being handed food or water. Individuals open their homes to the pilgrims to stay on their journey. It's a powerful sense of community, recreated every year.

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