Preparations for 'Governmental' Arbaeen Ceremony; Health Minister Warns of 'Heatstroke and Cholera' Risks

While officials of the Islamic Republic speak of the possibility of extending nationwide holidays to prevent 'harm' from 'high temperatures' to citizens, they are simultaneously preparing for the pilgrimage to Karbala for the Arbaeen ceremony. The religious ceremony of 'Arbaeen' takes place in the days leading up to the twentieth day of the lunar month of 'Safar' and forty days after the tenth of 'Muharram,' also known as 'Ashura,' in Iraq and along the routes leading to the city of 'Karbala' and the shrine of the third Imam of the Shia. The Islamic Republic organizes the 'Arbaeen pilgrimage,' which some consider 'governmental,' with special facilities for its participants. The Central Bank announced on Thursday, August 3, that it will allocate 'up to 200,000 dinars' in currency to each individual traveling from Iran to Iraq for the Arbaeen occasion. Mohammad Reza Farzin, the head of the Central Bank, stated that this amount will be provided 'in dinars and not in dollars or euros.' The price of each Iraqi dinar in the Iranian market is close to four hundred tomans. Additionally, a meeting of the 'Arbaeen Headquarters' was held at the University of Tehran with the presence of the university president to discuss the 'executive mechanisms for sending student caravans' for the 'Arbaeen pilgrimage.' Mohammad Moqimi, the president of the University of Tehran, and Ahmad Nouh-Naghar, the vice president for planning and resource development, emphasized the need to provide 'necessary cash and service facilities' and 'necessary directives' for 'immediate and essential financial resources' for sending 'student caravans' to Karbala. Bahram Einollahi, the Minister of Health and Medical Education, considered 'heatstroke' due to rising temperatures a 'significant issue' for this year's Arbaeen and warned about 'tropical diseases,' 'cholera,' and other 'contagious diseases,' especially for 'pregnant women, children, and the elderly.' He announced the establishment of a 'Health and Arbaeen Headquarters' in the Ministry of Health 'several weeks ago' and mentioned that meetings have been held with the Iraqi Minister of Health and 'Hashd al-Shaabi' for cooperation in this regard. According to Einollahi, 'about 15,000 to 20,000 students' and 'faculty members' from the university will be sent to this governmental ceremony to promote 'Ashura culture,' and a 'three million toman student loan' has been allocated for each person. Continuing the use of public budget and facilities for this governmental ceremony, Mohammad Teyeb Sahraei, the governor of Kermanshah, stated that arrangements have been made for the daily passage of '50,000 to 100,000' people through the Khosravi border, and the municipality of district 22 in Tehran has announced that its forces will be sent to the Khosravi border to 'serve the pilgrims' of Arbaeen. Following public protests in the second half of 1401 after the killing of Mahsa Amini across Iran and the deaths of over 500 protesters, some of whom had their images published during religious ceremonies, the mourning rituals of this year's Muharram were accompanied by protest chants.