Shiites commemorate Ashoura day in Karbala

(30 Aug 2020) Tens of thousands of Shiite Muslims in Karbala commemorated the holy day of Ashoura on Sunday, by running towards the shrines of Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas. Ashoura commemorates the 7th century death of Prophet Muhammad's grandson Hussein, one of Shiite Islam's most beloved saints. As well as running in the Ashoura procession, the faithful could be seen self-flagelleting, and beating their chests. Because of the cornavirus pandemic, Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, had encouraged people to observe the mourning in other ways such as watching online or televised commemorations from home. Those attending public commemorations had to adhere to health guidelines, including social distancing and wearing masks, with caps on the numbers of participants, a statement from his office said. For Shiites, who represent over 10 percent of the world's 1.8 billion Muslims, the remembrance of Hussein is an emotional event that sees many believers weep over his death at the Battle of Karbala in present-day Iraq. The event contributed massively to the schism that led to the split between the Sunni and Shiite sects of Islam. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...