Iran, Iraq Agree to Coordinate Arbaeen Procession

Date: 14 October 2018 - 21:36

News ID: ۵۸۵۰۹

TEHRAN (Dispatches) – Iran and Iraq have signed a major memorandum of understanding on coordinating the Arbaeen procession that would see more than 2.5 million Iranian pilgrims travelling to the Arab country.
Hussein Zolfaqari, director of an Iranian headquarters set up for Arbaeen, said Sunday the document provides for the two countries to jointly manage the event through a series of measures coordinated between them.
He said 29 Iranian organizations and 12 committees in Iraq are making arrangements for the religious event.
Zolfaqari further referred to measures already taken to facilitate the pilgrimage, saying 84 kilometers of new main roads have been constructed and that the Khosravi border crossing in western Iran has been equipped with 60 new gates.
A new drinking water pipeline has been constructed in Chazzabeh border crossing with the daily capacity of serving 300,000 people, he said, adding that the number of certified pavilions along the procession road to Karbala has reached 1,945.
The pilgrims travelling from Najaf to Karbala on foot can also have Internet access, the official said.
Zolfaqari, however, warned Iranian pilgrims not to visit Iraq without a valid visa, saying illegal crossing would carry a punishment of up to six months in prison.
Arbaeen, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, comes 40 days after Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shiite Imam.
Each year, a huge crowd of Shia Muslims converge on Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located, to perform mourning rites. This year’s Arbaeen falls on October 30.
On Saturday, Iranian police chief Brigadier General Hussein Ashtari assured that his forces would provide full security for citizens those traveling to Iraq for the occasion.
Speaking to reporters here, Ashtari touched on necessary arrangements made by the policy, saying all security measures have been taken several months ago.