TEHRAN – During the Arbaeen pilgrimage, some 20,000 traffic police forces will stand guard to ensure the pilgrims’ safety, traffic police chief Seyed Kamal Hadianfar has announced.

Volunteer teams of police forces stand guard in Kermanshah, Ilam, and Khuzestan provinces as the pilgrims mainly cross these provinces to reach four borders, said Hadianfar, IRNA reported on Wednesday.

This year, visa requirements are removed for the pilgrims as a “positive step” toward paving the way for Iranian pilgrims visiting the neighboring country.
According to the latest official data, some 373,000 Iranians have so far registered to participate in the pilgrimage.

Arbaeen pilgrimage, also known as Arbaeen trek, is a rituals participated by hundreds of thousands of Shia and Sunni Muslims as well as Christians and Zoroastrians, etc. every year to mark the end of the 40-day mourning period of Imam Hossein (AS).

Every year pilgrims start their walk from various cities to the holy shrine of Imam Hossein (AS) in Karbala days or even weeks before Arbaeen- 40th day of Imam

Hossein (AS) martyrdom- to grieve the doleful passing of the Imam and his loyal companions at the Battle of Karbala on Muharram 10 in the year 61 AH (680 CE).
According to Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization more than 1.8 million Iranians have applied for visa to attend Arbaeen pilgrimage 2018.

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