The Arba'in Pilgrimage: Faith, Culture, and Memory in Motion

A Journey Through Images, Stories, and Testimonies

The event opened with a moving and intense photographic exhibition that visually documented the march of pilgrims from Najaf to Karbala. The shots, capturing faces marked by fatigue and spontaneous acts of solidarity, conveyed the deep sense of community and resistance that characterizes the pilgrimage. The images spoke for themselves: men, women, children, the elderly—all united in remembrance of Imam Husayn, a key figure in Shia spirituality and a symbol of the struggle against tyranny.

The Path of the Martyrs: A Documentary by Puria Nabati

Next, the screening of the documentary The Path of the Martyrs by director Puria Nabati offered an intense cinematic immersion into the pilgrimage. Filmed on location, the footage captured not only the ritual aspects but also the emotional and political dimensions of the journey. The narrator guided the audience through the symbolic places of Shia devotion, reminding them that Karbala is not only a geographical location but also an ethical paradigm of resistance against oppression.

Literature on the Move: The Book by Nicola Hasan Di Cola

The event concluded with the presentation of the book The Golden Dome: A Journey in Iraq Along the Path of the Martyrs by Nicola Hasan Di Cola, a writer and traveler who shared his personal experience along the sacred route. With an engaging narrative style, Di Cola combined reportage, personal reflections, and testimonies, offering a humanistic and intercultural perspective on Arba'in. His account is an invitation to dialogue between worlds that may seem distant but are deeply connected.

A Multicultural and Attentive Rome

This event, free to the public, represented an important moment of interreligious and cultural exchange in the heart of Rome. The Iman Mahdi Association, with the support of numerous volunteers and intellectuals, succeeded in creating a welcoming space that celebrated not only religious memory but also the ability to build bridges between cultures. In an era marked by conflict and misunderstanding, remembering Karbala also means reaffirming the importance of justice, dignity, and universal solidarity.

Karbala and the Martyrdom of Imam Husayn: A Memory of Justice and Resistance

The name Karbala evokes, for millions of Shia Muslims (and beyond), the sacred site of the supreme sacrifice: that of Imam Husayn ibn Ali, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed on the 10th of Muharram in the year 680 CE (61 AH) along with his companions on the plains of present-day Iraq. This date, known as Ashura, marks one of the most painful and significant events in Islamic history.

A Foretold Martyrdom

After the death of the Prophet Muhammad, a political and spiritual struggle arose over the rightful leadership of the Umma (the Islamic community). Imam Husayn, son of Ali and Fatima, was seen by his followers as the spiritual and moral heir of the Prophet. However, the caliphate passed into the hands of the Umayyad dynasty, which, under Yazid ibn Mu‘awiya, established an authoritarian and dynastic power increasingly distant from the original ideals of Islam.

When Yazid demanded a pledge of allegiance from Husayn, he refused, declaring that “a man like me cannot pledge allegiance to a man like him.” With this act, Husayn became a symbol of ethical resistance, choosing martyrdom over submission to injustice.

The Tragedy of Karbala

Accompanied by a small group of family members and followers (72 in total), including women and children, Husayn set out toward Kufa, responding to a call for support from his supporters. But on the 10th of Muharram, in Karbala, he was surrounded and besieged by the Umayyad army. Without water, starving, and exhausted, Husayn’s men fought valiantly to the end. The massacre was total. Husayn’s body was decapitated, his corpse trampled by horses. The surviving women and children were captured and deported to Damascus.

A Universal Symbol

Karbala is not only a physical location or a historical event. It has become a universal metaphor for the struggle between the oppressed and the oppressors, between truth and falsehood, between freedom and tyranny. Husayn is considered the “Master of Martyrs,” the one who refused to remain complicit in the face of corrupt power. For this reason, millions of devotees commemorate his sacrifice each year with the Arba’in pilgrimage, 40 days after Ashura.

The Relevance of a Message

In today’s world, marked by wars, injustices, and oppression, the message of Husayn continues to resonate as a cry of conscience. “Every day is Ashura, every land is Karbala” is a motto that calls on each individual not to turn a blind eye to evil. Karbala is the story of those who choose to die standing rather than live on their knees. It is a lesson of love, loyalty, and sacrifice that speaks to all humanity, beyond religious affiliations.