The Arbaeen mourning ceremony stands as an extraordinary and colossal religious congregation on a global scale, with more than 20 million pilgrims in attendance. This profound event signifies the 40th day following Ashura, the solemn commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS), the revered grandson of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

Annually, an immense gathering of Shia devotees converges upon Karbala, home to the hallowed shrine of Imam Hussein (AS), to partake in mourning rituals of great significance. These pilgrims, predominantly hailing from Iraq and Iran, embark on arduous journeys, traversing extensive distances on foot.

This year’s Arbaeen comes amid a new wave of acts of Quran desecration that are allowed to happen in Nordic states, especially in Sweden and Denmark, under the guise of freedom of speech.

What follows is IQNA’s reporting from Iraq on the Quran recitation of a few children: