BAGHDAD — On Saturday, large crowds of Shiite pilgrims clad in black made their way on foot toward the sacred shrine of Imam Moussa al-Kadhim, located in the northwestern Baghdad neighborhood of al-Kadhimiyah.
This location holds immense religious importance for Shiite Muslims, as it is the final resting place of Imam al-Kadhim, regarded as the seventh of the Twelve Imams in Shiite Islam, who passed away in the late eighth century.
This year’s observance takes place amid significant upheavals in the region, leaving many Shiite followers feeling precarious, especially following the recent fall of Bashar Assad’s government in Syria. Assad, who was aligned with Iran, received support that allowed him to maintain control through a grueling civil war lasting nearly 14 years, until he was ousted last month by a sudden offensive from the Sunni Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
In addition, militant groups allied with Iran, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, also faced severe challenges over the past year due to their conflicts with Israel. Currently, fragile ceasefire arrangements are in effect in both Gaza and Lebanon.
Among the pilgrims was Mohammed al-Waswasi, a 28-year-old from Wasit province, who arrived in Baghdad after a two-day journey, holding a black banner as a mark of mourning.
“We carry a profound sense of disappointment after the recent conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, where we have lost invaluable leaders,” al-Waswasi shared. “Today, we come to Imam al-Kadhim to express our grief.”
To accommodate the surge of visitors, major roads in Baghdad were closed off, primarily for the pilgrims arriving from the southern and central regions of Iraq.
Numerous tents were set up along the routes leading to the shrine, providing essential services and rest areas for the travelers. Extensive deployment of Iraqi security forces was observed to ensure safety during this annual event, which generally draws hundreds of thousands of attendees from Iraq and beyond.
In al-Kadhimiyah, vehicle access was prohibited, and city entrances were secured with checkpoints to control visitor entry.
