Way of Al-Aqsa: This Year’s Arbaeen Procession Embraces Palestinian Liberation Agenda More Than Ever

Millions of pilgrims who are joining the largest human congregation to mark the tragedy of the house of Prophet Muhammad and march from Najaf to Karbala in Iraq certainly more than any time remember the tragedies caused by the murderous Israeli occupation to the oppressed nation of Palestine.

In this year's Arbaeen, or the fortieth day after martyrdom of Imam Hussein— who was killed rising against the corrupt and oppressive ruler of the time Yazid in 680 AD— the united outcry of millions of pilgrims from around the world will be the louder voice of freedom-seeking and the fight against oppression of Gaza people and resistance. Actually, the Arbaeen presents the best opportunity for realization of this goal.

On this occasion, the officials of the Cultural and Education Committee of Arbaeen announced this year's march slogan to be "The e Way of Al-Aqsa" to express the deep bonds between the message of the rightful uprising of Imam Hussein and his companions against the corrupt Yazid rule and the brave resistance of the Palestinian people, especially the heroic and oppressed Gaza. 

"The nature and spirit of the Ashura movement and the Arbaeen ceremony is anti-oppression and support for the oppressed, and in this year's Arbaeen, we try to make the voice of the Palestinians heard as a step in support of Palestine," said Hamid Ahmadi, the head of Central Committee of Arbaeen. 

Carrying Palestinian flag and Ismail Haniyeh posters 

What makes this year's Arbaeen more than any another time Palestinian is the carrying of Palestinian signs and flags. 

Pilgrims also carry posters of the inexhaustible struggler Martyr Ismail Haniyeh, who was and remains a clear symbol of the perseverance of the Palestinian people and who was assassinated for the cause of justice.

The mawkebs, or roadside service stations, along the way are raising flags and banners of support to the Palestinian cause. 

Palestinian flags are being raised not only by the Iranian pilgrims, but also by marchers from other countries. 

"I advise the mourning delegations and mourners to raise the Palestinian flag in the mourning ceremony of the first decade of Muharram and in the Arbaeen ceremony and remember their [Palestinian] oppression," Sadrist Movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr said. 

"The oppression of Palestinian nation is inspired by the oppression of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him)," he added. 

Arabaeen, the best opportunity to counter Israeli criminals

For Shiites, Muharram mourning and Arbaeen procession are not just marking a religious ritual but basically promoting a lifestyle that prefers living freely and death in the path of justice and truth over life under humiliation and under oppression. The Shiites not only find honorable death in the path of the right as a virtue, but also believe in the certainly of victory of blood over sword. 

Therefore, it is clear that what drives the resistance in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria and becomes the basis for the implementation of the strategy of "unity of the fronts" — a strategy that suggests that aggression against one branch of Axis of Resistance is an aggression against all the branches and others will react— and this is the same thing that drives the resistance in Palestine and Gaza, and no school of thought can be like Karbala. Man should learn how to resist while under oppression, and how to overcome the sword with their blood, and this is the secret of the immortality of Karbala uprising by Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad.

The fear and concern of international Zionism about expanding focus on the Arbaeen procession and promotion of its message is precisely because of this, since Imam Hussein's thought and uprising form the core of the current resistance against the Israeli occupation and makes those affected by the school of Imam Hussein and Karbala zealous for martyrdom. This thought makes its followers believe that as in Karbala the blood defeated the sword and became immortal, at the end of the road, Gaza and Palestine will defeat the Israeli occupation. 

It is clear that the Zionists do not allow participation of Palestinians in the Arbaeen procession, but today, as the discourse of resistance has become increasingly popular among the Palestinian nation and has upset the agenda of the pro-normalization Arab rulers, the sympathy and companionship of the Palestinians with the Shiites in the Arbaeen congregation of the Arbaeen procession is a reality, and the oppressed people of Gaza are looking forward to splendid Arsbaeen ceremony which they see a message of resolute support to them.

In 2021, for the first time in the history of the Arbaeen, a delegation from Palestine with a highlighted presence of Palestinian clerics and active youth with the slogan "Labik Ya Hussain" and "Labik Ya Aqsa" was set up in Karbala. 

At the opening ceremony of this procession, Sheikh Saeed Abu Nassah, a Palestinian religious scholar, said: "We wanted to emphasize with this procession the unanimity of principles of the Husseini uprising and our just cause in Palestine, especially since our enemy is trying to sow division between us."

"We joined the procession to stress that Palestine is the compass of the Islamic ummah's issues in our time, and from here, from Iraq and Karbala, the land of honor and pride, from the shrine of Imam Hussein (pbuh) we carry the message of Palestinian people's resistance against the Israeli occupation," he added. 

In this year's Arbaeen, though the Palestinians are absent, the place of Palestine and the heroic Gaza is not empty and the marchers and pilgrims remember Al-Aqsa and Palestine from their heart and soul.