Latest news with #Shi'ites
The Star
4 days ago
- The Star
For Shi'ite pilgrims in Iraq's deserts, suffering strengthens faith
Majid al-Kareem, 58, reacts at the Imam Hussein Shrine, ahead of the Shi'ite holy ritual of Arbaeen, in the holy city of Karbala, Iraq August 11, 2025. REUTERS/Alaa al-Marjani KARBALA, Iraq (Reuters) -Majid al-Kareem is poorly equipped for his 500 km pilgrimage by foot through the scorching deserts of southern Iraq. He wears sandals and black clothes that absorb the heat, and carries a wooden broom handle for a walking stick. But suffering is the point. His journey mourns and glorifies the Muslim Prophet Mohammad's grandson Hussein, slain in battle nearly 1,400 years ago at the end of this very route. Kareem begins at the furthest possible starting point, at Ras al-Bisha in southern Iraq. He stands in the sands of the Persian Gulf before setting off north towards his goal, the holy city of Karbala, where Hussein died and where his shrine now stands. Kareem will be on the road for 22 days. It is a tiring start for the 58-year-old. The hot wind that blows through the southern Iraqi deserts and marshes, or inland from the sea, already batters him and frays a black flag he carries for the first part of the journey. He is upbeat, however, and says his faith and resolve have never been stronger. "I am fine, thank God. The path of Imam Hussein is the path of the free. I feel like a king on this path,' he says. Arbaeen, meaning 40 in Arabic, is one of the most important rituals for Shi'ite Muslims. It has also become the world's largest annual pilgrimage and dwarfs the Muslim Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia's Mecca. The event marks 40 days after the death of Hussein, who was killed by the army of Muslim Caliph Yazid ibn Muawiya. SHI'ITE-SUNNI SPLIT Shi'ites, who believe the line of caliphs should follow the prophet's blood line while Sunnis believe it should be decided by consensus, mark Hussein's death with mourning in the streets. The Shi'ite-Sunni split has divided the Middle East to different degrees at different points in history. The U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 exacerbated sectarian tensions that fuelled a civil war in Iraq, home to a Shi'ite majority but with a large Sunni population. The toppling of Saddam Hussein during that invasion, however, also allowed Shi'ites to restart rituals that the Iraqi president had restricted. Kareem made his first full pilgrimage after Saddam was ousted, and has kept up the tradition every year since. 'This is my 18th time,' he says, proudly. Arbaeen is also a display of Iraqi hospitality. Volunteers hand out cups of thick black sugary tea along roadsides and feed tired, hungry pilgrims in tents. Mosques and religious halls known as Husseiniyas open their doors to travellers to sleep and rest. Kareem relies on welcoming strangers to make his journey. He also meets family members along the way who join him for parts of the walk. As his pilgrimage nears its end, the sight of Karbala and the Hussein shrine is a boost. He jostles with other pilgrims who throng the shrine. Visited by more than 20 million pilgrims each year, it is housed within a vast, golden-domed mosque decorated with ornate entrances, wooden gates and glass. Kareem says a prayer as he gets close. He has reached the holy city a couple of days ahead of the culmination of Arbaeen on Friday. "Every year our love and longing for Imam Hussein grows stronger,' he says. (Photography and reporting by Alaa al-Marjani; Writing by John Davison; Text editing by Andrew Cawthorne; Photo editing by Cynthia Karam)
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Straits Times
For Shi'ite pilgrims in Iraq's deserts, suffering strengthens faith
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Majid al-Kareem, 58, reacts at the Imam Hussein Shrine, ahead of the Shi'ite holy ritual of Arbaeen, in the holy city of Karbala, Iraq August 11, 2025. REUTERS/Alaa al-Marjani KARBALA, Iraq - Majid al-Kareem is poorly equipped for his 500 km pilgrimage by foot through the scorching deserts of southern Iraq. He wears sandals and black clothes that absorb the heat, and carries a wooden broom handle for a walking stick. But suffering is the point. His journey mourns and glorifies the Muslim Prophet Mohammad's grandson Hussein, slain in battle nearly 1,400 years ago at the end of this very route. Kareem begins at the furthest possible starting point, at Ras al-Bisha in southern Iraq. He stands in the sands of the Persian Gulf before setting off north towards his goal, the holy city of Karbala, where Hussein died and where his shrine now stands. Kareem will be on the road for 22 days. It is a tiring start for the 58-year-old. The hot wind that blows through the southern Iraqi deserts and marshes, or inland from the sea, already batters him and frays a black flag he carries for the first part of the journey. He is upbeat, however, and says his faith and resolve have never been stronger. "I am fine, thank God. The path of Imam Hussein is the path of the free. I feel like a king on this path,' he says. Arbaeen, meaning 40 in Arabic, is one of the most important rituals for Shi'ite Muslims. It has also become the world's largest annual pilgrimage and dwarfs the Muslim Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia's Mecca. The event marks 40 days after the death of Hussein, who was killed by the army of Muslim Caliph Yazid ibn Muawiya. SHI'ITE-SUNNI SPLIT Shi'ites, who believe the line of caliphs should follow the prophet's blood line while Sunnis believe it should be decided by consensus, mark Hussein's death with mourning in the streets. The Shi'ite-Sunni split has divided the Middle East to different degrees at different points in history. The U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 exacerbated sectarian tensions that fuelled a civil war in Iraq, home to a Shi'ite majority but with a large Sunni population. The toppling of Saddam Hussein during that invasion, however, also allowed Shi'ites to restart rituals that the Iraqi president had restricted. Kareem made his first full pilgrimage after Saddam was ousted, and has kept up the tradition every year since. 'This is my 18th time,' he says, proudly. Arbaeen is also a display of Iraqi hospitality. Volunteers hand out cups of thick black sugary tea along roadsides and feed tired, hungry pilgrims in tents. Mosques and religious halls known as Husseiniyas open their doors to travellers to sleep and rest. Kareem relies on welcoming strangers to make his journey. He also meets family members along the way who join him for parts of the walk. As his pilgrimage nears its end, the sight of Karbala and the Hussein shrine is a boost. He jostles with other pilgrims who throng the shrine. Visited by more than 20 million pilgrims each year, it is housed within a vast, golden-domed mosque decorated with ornate entrances, wooden gates and glass. Kareem says a prayer as he gets close. He has reached the holy city a couple of days ahead of the culmination of Arbaeen on Friday. "Every year our love and longing for Imam Hussein grows stronger,' he says. REUTERS
RTHK
06-08-2025
- Politics
- RTHK
Hezbollah rejects disarmament plan
Hezbollah rejects disarmament plan Lebanon's cabinet had tasked the army with developing a plan to restrict weapons only to government forces by the end of the year. Photo: Reuters Hezbollah has said the Lebanese government was committing a "grave sin" by tasking the army with establishing a state monopoly on arms, sharpening a national divide over calls for the Shi'ite Muslim group to disarm. Despite unprecedented pressure from Washington and from its domestic rivals, the Iran-backed group has refused to fully relinquish its arsenal, which it retained after Lebanon's civil war ended in 1990 even as other militias disarmed. Now, the US has demanded Lebanon's cabinet explicitly pledge to strip Hezbollah of its weapons – a move that risks reigniting tensions in Lebanon, a nation of multiple sects where Hezbollah retains significant support among Shi'ites. The cabinet on Tuesday tasked the Lebanese army with drawing up a plan to confine arms across the country to six official security forces by year's end. Hezbollah rejected the decision in a written statement on Wednesday, saying it was a result of US "diktats" and that it would "deal with it as if it does not exist". "The government of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam committed a grave sin by taking a decision to strip Lebanon of its weapons to resist the Israeli enemy... This decision fully serves Israel's interest," the group said. The statement said Shi'ite ministers walked out of the cabinet session before the decision was reached as "an expression of the resistance's (Hezbollah's) rejection of this decision". The group said it remained ready to discuss a broader national security strategy and called on its supporters to remain patient. The session at Lebanon's presidential palace was the first time the cabinet addressed Hezbollah's weapons - unimaginable when the group was at the zenith of its power before a devastating war with Israel last year. A US-brokered ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel in November ended that conflict, called on Lebanon to confiscate all "unauthorised" weapons across the country and said Israel would stop offensive operations against Lebanese targets. But Israel has kept its troops at five points in Lebanon's southern border region and has continued air strikes against what it says are Hezbollah fighters and arms depots. In June, the US submitted a roadmap to Lebanese officials that proposed Hezbollah fully disarm in exchange for Israel withdrawing its troops and halting its strikes. Hezbollah and its main ally, the Amal Movement led by parliament speaker Nabih Berri, have demanded the order be reversed, saying Israel must halt its strikes before any discussion on weapons can be held. On Wednesday, Amal said Lebanon's government should focus on consolidating the November ceasefire and said the next cabinet session on Thursday would be a chance to correct course. Ministers will meet again on Thursday to continue discussions on the US proposal. Imad Salamey, chairman of the Lebanese-American University's Department of Political and International Studies, said the country's Shi'ite community, hit hardest by last year's war, was now concerned that relinquishing Hezbollah's arms would leave them vulnerable to further Israeli attacks. "We are most probably going into a polarized political landscape," he said. (Reuters)
RTHK
06-08-2025
- Politics
- RTHK
Hezbollah rejects disarmament plan
Hezbollah rejects disarmament plan Lebanon's cabinet had tasked the army with developing a plan to restrict weapons only to government forces by the end of the year. Photo: Reuters Hezbollah has said the Lebanese government was committing a "grave sin" by tasking the army with establishing a state monopoly on arms, sharpening a national divide over calls for the Shi'ite Muslim group to disarm. Despite unprecedented pressure from Washington and from its domestic rivals, the Iran-backed group has refused to fully relinquish its arsenal, which it retained after Lebanon's civil war ended in 1990 even as other militias disarmed. Now, the US has demanded Lebanon's cabinet explicitly pledge to strip Hezbollah of its weapons – a move that risks reigniting tensions in Lebanon, a nation of multiple sects where Hezbollah retains significant support among Shi'ites. The cabinet on Tuesday tasked the Lebanese army with drawing up a plan to confine arms across the country to six official security forces by year's end. Hezbollah rejected the decision in a written statement on Wednesday, saying it was a result of US "diktats" and that it would "deal with it as if it does not exist". "The government of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam committed a grave sin by taking a decision to strip Lebanon of its weapons to resist the Israeli enemy... This decision fully serves Israel's interest," the group said. The statement said Shi'ite ministers walked out of the cabinet session before the decision was reached as "an expression of the resistance's (Hezbollah's) rejection of this decision". The group said it remained ready to discuss a broader national security strategy and called on its supporters to remain patient. The session at Lebanon's presidential palace was the first time the cabinet addressed Hezbollah's weapons - unimaginable when the group was at the zenith of its power before a devastating war with Israel last year. A US-brokered ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel in November ended that conflict, called on Lebanon to confiscate all "unauthorised" weapons across the country and said Israel would stop offensive operations against Lebanese targets. But Israel has kept its troops at five points in Lebanon's southern border region and has continued air strikes against what it says are Hezbollah fighters and arms depots. In June, the US submitted a roadmap to Lebanese officials that proposed Hezbollah fully disarm in exchange for Israel withdrawing its troops and halting its strikes. Hezbollah and its main ally, the Amal Movement led by parliament speaker Nabih Berri, have demanded the order be reversed, saying Israel must halt its strikes before any discussion on weapons can be held. On Wednesday, Amal said Lebanon's government should focus on consolidating the November ceasefire and said the next cabinet session on Thursday would be a chance to correct course. Ministers will meet again on Thursday to continue discussions on the US proposal. Imad Salamey, chairman of the Lebanese-American University's Department of Political and International Studies, said the country's Shi'ite community, hit hardest by last year's war, was now concerned that relinquishing Hezbollah's arms would leave them vulnerable to further Israeli attacks. "We are most probably going into a polarized political landscape," he said. (Reuters)
Reuters
06-08-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Hezbollah says Lebanon cabinet decision to seek state monopoly on arms is 'grave sin'
BEIRUT, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Hezbollah said on Wednesday the Lebanese government was committing a "grave sin" by tasking the army with establishing a state monopoly on arms, sharpening a national divide over calls for the Shi'ite Muslim group to disarm. Despite unprecedented pressure from Washington and from its domestic rivals, the Iran-backed group has refused to fully relinquish its arsenal, which it retained after Lebanon's civil war ended in 1990 even as other militias disarmed. Now, the U.S. has demanded Lebanon's cabinet explicitly pledge to strip Hezbollah of its weapons - a move that risks reigniting tensions in Lebanon, a nation of multiple sects where Hezbollah retains significant support among Shi'ites. The cabinet on Tuesday tasked the Lebanese army with drawing up a plan to confine arms across the country to six official security forces by year's end. Hezbollah rejected the decision in a written statement on Wednesday, saying it was a result of U.S. "diktats" and that it would "deal with it as if it does not exist". "The government of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam committed a grave sin by taking a decision to strip Lebanon of its weapons to resist the Israeli enemy... This decision fully serves Israel's interest," the group said. The statement said Shi'ite ministers walked out of the cabinet session before the decision was reached as "an expression of the resistance's (Hezbollah's) rejection of this decision". The group said it remained ready to discuss a broader national security strategy and called on its supporters to remain patient. The session at Lebanon's presidential palace was the first time the cabinet addressed Hezbollah's weapons - unimaginable when the group was at the zenith of its power before a devastating war with Israel last year. A U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel in November ended that conflict, called on Lebanon to confiscate all "unauthorized" weapons across the country and said Israel would stop offensive operations against Lebanese targets. But Israel has kept its troops at five points in Lebanon's southern border region and has continued air strikes against what it says are Hezbollah fighters and arms depots. In June, the U.S. submitted a roadmap to Lebanese officials that proposed Hezbollah fully disarm in exchange for Israel withdrawing its troops and halting its strikes. Hezbollah and its main ally, the Amal Movement led by parliament speaker Nabih Berri, have demanded the order be reversed, saying Israel must halt its strikes before any discussion on weapons can be held. On Wednesday, Amal said Lebanon's government should focus on consolidating the November ceasefire and said the next cabinet session on Thursday would be a chance to correct course. Ministers will meet again on Thursday to continue discussions on the U.S. proposal. Imad Salamey, chairman of the Lebanese-American University's Department of Political and International Studies, said the country's Shi'ite community, hit hardest by last year's war, was now concerned that relinquishing Hezbollah's arms would leave them vulnerable to further Israeli attacks. "We are most probably going into a polarized political landscape," he told Reuters.
