(Zaman Al Wasl)- Crowds of Shiite pilgrims coming to Damascus have multiplied enormously this year in celebration of the Arba'een Pilgrimage, the world's largest Shiite public gathering that is held at the end of the 40-day mourning period following Ashura, the religious ritual for the commemoration of the Prophet Mohammad's grandson Hussein ibn Ali's martyrdom in 680.
The Shiites crowds reintroduced a scene that brings back the specter of demographic change with its sectarian dimension, activists and residents said.
The various militias were keen to show their presence on this occasion and their role in "protecting the visitors and their service", including the Iranian militia of the Imam Ali Brigades which committed crimes in Iraq and Syria led by the natorious commander Abu Azrael.
The Imam Ali Brigades broadcasted a video entitled "Our heroic Mujahedeen are providing protection for Abu Abdullah al-Hussein's condolences". The video shows Shiites who came from a village in southern Lebanon speaking about coming to offer condolences to Sayeda Zeinab.
The video shows a woman who talked about the doubled numbers of Shiite coming to Syria, saying, " the crowds are multiplying every year. We used to come in a small van with 30 passengers, now we come with10 buses. Each bus has 55 passengers. This means according to the woman that 550 Shiites came from her area this year, whereas 30 in the past.
This comparison reveals the increase in the number of Shiite pilgrims to Syria by about 20 times, confirmed by scenes and images broadcast by many sectarian media, in the context of coverage of the "the forty days to the death of Imam Hussein," in Syria, considering that this influx of large "visitors" indicates the restoration of security in the capital and complementing the regime facilitation of these visits.
The Shia from Lebanon were not the only ones to "flood" Damascus and its environs, but as usual they were joined by "visitors" from Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and even Kuwait.
Zaman A Wasl
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.