London Arbaeen Procession

More than five thousand Shia Muslims came to Marble Arch today, Sunday 7 Feb 2010, for the 28th annual Arbaeen procession in London, commemorating the sacrifice made by the grandson of Mohammed, Imam Husain, killed with his family and companions at Kerbala in 680AD. After prayers and speeches they paraded along Park Lane in a ceremony of mourning.

Imam Husain is seen by Shia Muslims as making a great stand against the oppression of a tyrant and representing the forces of good against evil. Husain and his small group of supporters were hugely outnumbered but chose to fight to the death for their beliefs rather than to compromise. Their stand is a symbol of freedom and dignity, and an aspiration to people and nations to strive for freedom, justice and equality.

As well as colourful banners, a number of people, particularly the women, carried placards. Many of these called for an end to various crimes against humanity and in particular for the various attacks on Shia - including the suicide bombing a few days previously against an Arbaeen procession in Iraq.

The Hussaini Islamic Trust UK has organised this annual Arbaeen procession (Chelum) since 1982, and is one of the largest annual Muslim processions in the UK. It is held on the Sunday following the end of the 40 days of mourning the martyrdom of Husain.

The procession includes the three largest replicas of the shrines of Karbala; known as Shabbih, these gold and silver models are over 10 feet high and the largest in Europe. There were also a decorated and blood-stained white horse or Zuljana representing the horse of Imam Husain, a cradle remembering his 6 month old child Hazrat Ali Asghar who was also murdered and a coffin.

At the front of the procession were a group with children and adults re-enacting the shacking and parading of Husain's sister Zainab and her family who were marched and paraded through the towns on the long journey to Damascus.

The day started with traditional prayers and recitation which were followed by speeches in English, Arabic and Urdu before the procession set off. Groups among the men chanted and beat their chests as a token of mourning, and as the procession made its way down the road soon some were stripped to the waist and beating themselves vigorously, producing red marks and some drawing blood.

The great majority of the women marched in a tightly packed separate group at the rear of the march, held back by a number of women stewards.