Shiites celebrate Arbaeen at shrine of Imam Hussein

Описание: (8 Mar 2007)
1. Shiite pilgrims heading off to Karbala on foot, some carrying religious flags
2. Various of policeman giving water to pilgrims
3. Woman pushing child in wheelchair
4. Various of police convoy driving along road
5. Driving shot of road, gun in foreground
6. People beating drums as others re-enact Umayyads, the foes of Imam Hussein, in costume
7. Figures of Imam Hussein and his followers in back of cart
8. Close-up of model of Imam Hussein's bloodied head and model of Hussein's son on cart
9. Wide of procession
10. Models of heads of Imam Hussein and his followers, after they were beheaded in a battle with Umayyads in A.D. 680
11. Women beating chests and heads as they head off to holy shrine of Imam Hussein
12. People flagellating themselves with chains
13. Young boys beating drums
14. Pilgrims flagellating themselves with chains
15. Women and men beating their chests
16. Man beating his chest
17. Various of people flagellating themselves with chains with holy shrine of Imam Hussein in background
STORYLINE:
Shiite celebrations marking the end of the Arbaeen, 40-day mourning period after the date of the death of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, reached their peak on Thursday.
In large-scale processions and ceremonies, pilgrims beat their chest and flagellated themselves to the beat of drums in honour of Imam Hussein.
Others marked the rites, called Arbaeen, by dressing up in costume to tell the story of the saint's last days.
Imam Hussein died in the battle of Karbala in A.D. 680. and is revered as a saint by Shiites.
According to faith, he was massacred along with about 70 followers by an army of Umayyads, their rivals for leadership of the Muslim community.
The battle cemented a schism in Islam between Shiites and Sunnis, a division that has spiralled in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 and in particular since the 22 February 2006 bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samarra.
Thousands of pilgrims, some on foot, have been pouring to Karbala since last Sunday.
Karbala is 100 kilometres (62 miles) south of Baghdad.
It is considered Iraq's second holiest Shiite city after Najaf, which is 70 kilometres (45 miles) to the southeast.
The celebrations have been marred by violence since the start, with Shiite pilgrims coming under several attacks.
In the deadliest incident, two suicide bombers let off bombs among pilgrims lining up at a checkpoint in Hillah on Tuesday, killing at least 120 people and wounding about 190.
Shiite Muslims in Iraq will end their mourning on this occasion next Saturday.

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