Religious day... Ashura!

Today was the 10th day of Moharram in the Arabic Lunar Calendar which is one of the holiest day for Shia followers. From the morning I went to out to cover the climax of the day, where many marched in the streets hitting themselves with chains. I've seen this on TV, but it was the first time to see it live. As the people have been doing the same for 10 days, they finally reached the day to show their sorrow in front of my viewers.
They were mourning for the late Imam Hussein that fell in the hands of the "Imperialists" in the 7th Century at Karbala (now in Iraq), hitting themselves with chains so they can feel a bit of the hardship that their Imam has gone through.


thousands of men in black hitting themselves with chains...


the red man resembles the evil enemy that has killed the Imam...


the pageant looks really heavy... the man holding it was spinning it around from time to time and then bowing to the side...


some resemblance with the Japanese portable shrines! this resembles the household of the Prophet...


free food is handed out on this day at mosques...


mainly they hand polo, mainly keshmesh polo (rice with raisins and ground beef)...

In the nighttime, not only was the late Imam was the subject of mourning, but the people killed in Gaza were being mourned by the Iranians...


mourning with candles...

It's easy to amplify the hatred towards enemies through attacks, but I'm sure the Iranians have learned ways to take in the sadness by holding religious ceremonies for more than 13 centuries... but the Palestinian crisis is too controversial to leave it just to religious sentiments/.. when will the turning point come... I have no idea...