Arbaeen Pilgrimage: A Religious, Political, and Governmental Ceremony

"Your shoes should not be new, but comfortable and reliable. Instead of a bag, take a backpack; ladies, wear a headscarf that allows you to comfortably carry the backpack on your back. Sew an elastic black rectangular cloth to use as a veil to prevent facial burns and breathing in dust. Before dark, make sure to reach a 'mawkib' (service station) and do not remain on the road in the dark. There is a 'mawkib' every 50 meters between Najaf and Karbala, totaling 1451 'mawkibs' where you can rest, eat, and request necessary supplies. Bring only Iraqi dinars, as rials are not accepted anywhere. By the way, do not go alone; move in small groups for more security. Do not overload your luggage with water, food, and medicine, as they are abundantly available along the way, including shoe polish and massages." Perhaps these recommendations and promises have contributed to the increase in the number of pilgrims participating in the Arbaeen pilgrimage from Najaf to Karbala, which has grown from 40,000 in 2010 to over 2.3 million in 2017, with the Islamic Republic claiming it to be the largest religious gathering in the world. But what motivates this massive crowd of men, women, young, and old to walk 80 kilometers between Najaf and Karbala? Saeed Peyvandi, a sociologist residing in France, answers: "All religions are fundamentally shaped by their specific rituals and ceremonies, which significantly aid in the identity formation of their believers and constitute the foundation of the existence of religious institutions in any society. Similar events occur among Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Buddhists, and Muslims. However, what complicates this issue in Iran is that while religious institutions worldwide operate independently of the government as part of civil society, in Iran, the government directly intervenes and attempts to utilize ceremonies and rituals that have historically been held, albeit in a much more limited manner, for its own political propaganda. " Although only eight years have passed since Iran's official participation in the Arbaeen pilgrimage, its significance for senior officials of the Islamic Republic is such that it is used as one of the most important platforms for promotion. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, states: "These days coincide with Arbaeen. Do you see this pilgrimage? This massive movement of millions between Najaf and Karbala. Do you see this enthusiasm? This must be maintained. This is what guarantees the survival of this country." Khamenei's emphasis on preserving the Arbaeen pilgrimage serves as a directive for officials who utilize all the country's resources to guide people to this pilgrimage. Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the former mayor of Tehran, was one of the first officials to take charge of planning and directing the pilgrimage, laying the groundwork that his successors could not alter. Although it has been said that the costs of holding the Arbaeen pilgrimage are covered by Shia people from various parts of the world, as journalist Reza Haghighatnejad residing in Turkey points out, the Iranian government's contribution remains significant: "The government has spent twenty billion tomans from the 2017 budget. The municipality has allocated ten billion tomans this year. But when we delve into more specialized areas, we see that funding is also being injected from there. For example, one billion three hundred million tomans have been allocated this year for medicines for this event. Or regarding road improvements, I saw that five hundred fifty billion tomans were allocated to improve the roads along the pilgrimage route. Although it has been said that the costs of holding the Arbaeen pilgrimage are covered by Shia people from various parts of the world, as journalist Reza Haghighatnejad residing in Turkey points out, the Iranian government's contribution remains significant: "The government has spent twenty billion tomans from the 2017 budget. The municipality has allocated ten billion tomans this year. But when we delve into more specialized areas, we see that funding is also being injected from there. For example, one billion three hundred million tomans have been allocated this year for medicines for this event. Or regarding road improvements, I saw that five hundred fifty billion tomans were allocated to improve the roads along the pilgrimage route. However, do all these expenses ensure that pilgrims to Karbala are satisfied with the provided facilities? Mohammad Hossein, who came from Rasht to Karbala, told Radio Farda: "The facilities should be adequate for everyone to access comfortably, such as restrooms or general cleanliness; they are weak and need improvement. But overall, when one thinks of the ultimate goal, these issues are not very important." Health problems can be considered the most significant issue for millions of pilgrims to Karbala. One day before Arbaeen 2017, Iranian health ministry officials announced that nearly 200 individuals returning to Iran were under medical care due to diarrhea. Hot weather, the long route, and the lack of asphalt roads are among the main problems faced by those who, influenced by religious and political propaganda, participate in this pilgrimage despite the deployment of all national and regional resources. Some pilgrims, however, endure all these difficulties. For this group, the Arbaeen rituals are no less than the Hajj pilgrimage. They bid farewell to friends and relatives and seek forgiveness on social media before embarking on a journey that is continuously covered by the Islamic Republic's media. Yasser, an Arbaeen pilgrim, told Radio Farda: "This year, thank God, I was blessed; Imam Hussein invited me to be a pilgrim of Imam Hussein. God willing, this is my third year. Thank God, it gets better every year. The Mehran border was much better this year than last year. They managed the crowd well so that no one faced problems and people could cross the border easily. The impact of state media is significant; the fact that state media reflects the enthusiasm of the people makes them more interested in the pilgrimage and encourages them to come back in the coming years." However, the Arbaeen pilgrimage is not exclusive to Iranians. Organizers of the Arbaeen ceremony in Karbala reported in 2016 that 27 million mourners from 80 countries traveled to Karbala on Arbaeen day, a statistic that, according to Reza Haghighatnejad, the Islamic Republic effectively utilizes: "It can be said that based on the propaganda that Iran conducts, it is even thinking beyond the region. In recent years, they have stated that this globalization is a religious maneuver of Shia Muslims, and they have tried to attract forces from non-Muslim countries to promote and create discourse, defining their goals in this way and presenting it as a front in their struggle against some regional rivals, especially against Saudi Arabia. Occasionally, we see that the propaganda for the Arbaeen pilgrimage is compared to Hajj, and the Islamic Republic tries to present it as more significant than the religious events in Saudi Arabia." The presence of the Islamic Republic and the Shia population of Iranians at the Arbaeen ceremony has become more pronounced since 2010, following the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq. Although the early years of this movement emphasized only the religious aspect of the ceremony, it seems that the Islamic Republic's policies have shifted towards politicizing this multi-million participation. Nima, a journalist witnessing this million-strong pilgrimage, states: "... there are 'mawkibs' that have come mostly from Iran... Iranians have set up more 'mawkibs' and even posted political slogans, such as 'The path to Jerusalem is through Karbala' and 'Death to America,' knowing that now... the presence of Saudi Arabia and America has increased. However, the 'mawkibs' set up by Iranians have a more political tone, with the political aspect overshadowing the religious one..." Iran's political activities during the Arbaeen ceremony have intensified while the days leading up to this religious event were filled with political tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia. While Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of military support for the Houthis in Yemen and arms shipments to them, Iran denies these accusations, claiming that Saudi Arabia is trying to disrupt regional security. Amid the political tussle, the borders between Iran and Pakistan witnessed thousands of Shia individuals waiting in line to obtain visas for Iran and Iraq. It has been reported that last year, over 300,000 Shia from Afghanistan participated in the Arbaeen ceremony. Can the increase in Iran's political propaganda during the Arbaeen pilgrimage affect the balance of power in the region? Political analyst Mohammad Javad Akbarin, residing in France, answers this question affirmatively: "The path that the Islamic Republic has chosen in this regard seems to be a smart one. It fulfills its foreign policy goals to some extent, expands its influence in Shia communities in other countries, and can use this as a pressure tool against its rivals in its domestic politics. Overall, it is a successful tool, relying on identity borders. I believe this has worked in all religions, wherever identity borders have been emphasized. Although the results in other religions and under different circumstances and historical backgrounds can be bloody in the future and pave the way for wars, I believe the Arbaeen pilgrimage has the potential to become a force that can be showcased in future ethnic wars and perhaps utilized. Just as they successfully attract people from certain countries for the Arbaeen pilgrimage, they use the same system to gather Shia for regional wars, similar to what they did in Syria with some Afghan forces and others brought in from different countries." According to the latest news, Es'hagh Jahangiri (First Vice President), Soltani Far (Minister of Sports), Ebrahim Raisi (Custodian of the Astan Quds Razavi), Saeed Jalili (Member of the Expediency Council), and Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf (former mayor of Tehran) were prominent figures in the Arbaeen pilgrimage of 2017.