Iranian Shiite Muslims Commemorate Ashura Amidst Symbols of Mourning and Piety

Iranian Shiite Muslims marked Ashura, honoring the seventh-century martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Hussein. Symbols of piety filled Tehran and other cities, featuring red flags, black funeral tents, and chest-beating processions. Many traveled to Karbala, Iraq, where Hussein is buried. Ashura's commemoration underscores a significant rift in Islam.

Iranian Shiite Muslims on Tuesday commemorated Ashura, a remembrance of the seventh century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Hussein, that gave birth to their faith.

Over 1,340 years after Hussein's death, Tehran and other cities across the country were adorned with symbols of Shiite piety and repentance. Red flags represented Hussein's blood, black funeral tents and clothes indicated mourning, and processions of chest-beating and self-flagellating men expressed fervour. Some sprayed water over the mourners in the intense heat.

Many Iranian people also travelled to the Iraqi city of Karbala, where Hussein is entombed in a gold-domed shrine, to mourn there. Iranian state TV broadcast live from there, showing people at the shrine.

Shiites represent over 10 percent of the world's 1.8 billion Muslims and view Hussein as the rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad. Hussein's death in battle at the hands of Sunnis at Karbala, south of Baghdad, ingrained a deep rift in Islam and continues to this day to play a key role in shaping Shiite identity.

(With inputs from agencies.)