In Pictures: Thousands of mothers symbolically offer sacrificial infants to Imam Hossein
Independent Aggregator of Iran-related News/Events, Kodoom.com: In what has become an annual ritual, thousands of mothers gather for the fifteenth year in Tehran's Prayer Site (Mosalla) to symbolically offer their infants as sacrifices to the cause of martyred grandson of Prophet Mohammad, Shia's third Imam (Hussein), who died in 7th century AD fighting the area's ruler Yazid.
To commemorate Hussein's sacrifices, during the 10 day of Muharram, Shia followers in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Lebanon carry cross-like symbols in their street processions, mourn, offer food and other sacrifices. Many of these religious street carnivals are similar to catholic processions in Italy honoring Saints and lamenting crucifixion.
Unlike Shias, many followers of Sunni Islam respect Yazid, and not Hossein, as the legitimate Islamic ruler of the time. Some sects of Sunni Islam, backed by Saudi Arabia, consider Shia followers as heretics deserving death. In recent years, numerous Shia followers have lost their lives in violent attacks on their rituals by extremist Sunni militants in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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