Masks and tears: Ashura marked in Iraq's Karbala despite virus

Masks and tears: Ashura marked in Iraq's Karbala despite virus

KARBALA (AFP) - Thousands of tearful pilgrims wearing gloves and face masks flooded Iraq’s holy city of Karbala Sunday to mark Ashura, one of the largest Muslim gatherings since the Covid-19 pandemic started.

Ashura, on the 10th day of the month of Muharram, commemorates the martyrdom of the Prophet Mohammed’s (PBUH) grandson Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) at the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD -- the defining moment of Islam’s confessional schism.

Typically, millions of people from around the world flock to the golden-domed shrine where Hazrat Imam Hussain’s (RA) remains are buried, to pray and cry, shoulder-to-shoulder.

But with coronavirus numbers spiking across the globe, this year’s commemoration is subdued.

Small clusters of pilgrims gathered in the vast courtyards outside the main mosque, wearing the customary mourning colour of black and the new addition of medical masks and gloves.

Wading through the crowds were teams of shrine employees spraying disinfectant mist through long, thin hoses or distributing masks to any bare-faced visitor.

To be allowed into the shrine, people must first have their temperatures taken at grey gates that resemble metal detectors.

Inside, signs on the carpet floor indicate the proper distance that should be kept between worshippers as they pray.

Huge rolls of nylon sheets prevent people from kissing the walls, a habitual sign of reverence.

Praying alone 

But in the enclave where Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) is buried, pilgrims press their unmasked faces up against the ornate grille separating them from the mausoleum.

Many visitors are crying or sniffling, wiping their faces with bare hands -- oblivious that this is one way in which they could make the virus spread.

There were notably fewer pilgrims this year.

Neighbouring Iran, which usually sends tens of thousands of pilgrims to Karbala, is the hardest-hit Middle Eastern country with over 21,000 coronavirus deaths.

Tehran banned the usual Ashura marches, indoor ceremonies, and banquets, instead broadcasting the various religious rituals on state television.

Even Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, prayed alone, according to images published by his office that showed him wearing a mask in the vast, empty mosque at his residence.

In Afghanistan and Pakistan, health authorities have reported a fall in new virus cases but security remained a top concern.

Many have opted for scaled-down family gatherings but some processions leading up to Ashura saw thousands turn out, and larger crowds are expected on Sunday.

"It’s not possible that anyone would be infected with the virus," said Israr Hussain Shah, a devotee in the Pakistani capital Islamabad.

"Rather people come to heal and protect themselves, whether that’s a virus of faith or a sickness," he said.