Thursday, September 07, 2006
Shia pilgrims head for Karbala
Religion
Despite the violence, hundreds of Shia pilgrims are heading to Karbala to observe the Shia religious festival of Shaaban which is on Saturday. Karbala regional authorities have enforced a vehicle ban from early Thursday and police and army reinforcements are on standby. Shaaban is a celebration of the birth of the Mahdi, the 12 and last Imam in Shia Islam. The Imam disappeared in the 9th century and is expected to return eventually.
