NABATIYEH, Lebanon — Large crowds of Shiite Muslims gathered Friday across Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and other parts of the Muslim world to mark Ashoura, one of the most important days on their religious calendar, the Associated Press reported. The annual commemoration honors the seventh-century death of Hussein, the grandson of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad.
Ashoura is observed on the 10th day of Muharram in the lunar-based Islamic calendar and marks the climax of a 10-day mourning period. On this day in 680 CE, Hussein was killed alongside members of his family and companions as he fought against the army of Caliph Yazid, to whom Hussein had refused to pledge allegiance, according to the AP.
The killing deepened the historic schism between Sunni and Shiite Islam and has long served as a powerful symbol of resistance against oppression and injustice for Shiite Muslims, the AP reported.
This year’s observances come against the backdrop of a war between predominantly Shiite Iran and the United States and Israel that began in late February. On Feb. 28, U.S. and Israeli strikes killed senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was 86, according to the AP.
Khamenei was not only Iran’s top political leader but also held final authority on all religious matters and was revered by millions of Shiites worldwide, the AP reported. The strikes and Khamenei’s death have added a somber dimension to this year’s Ashoura observances, which traditionally draw worshippers to mourning processions and ceremonies across the region.