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Pressure to Open Borders for Pilgrims despite Pandemic

By Hassan Ali Ahmed, for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.

Iraq under pressure to open borders for Shiite pilgrims despite pandemic

While the Iraqi government attempts to prevent the spread of the delta variant from Iran, there is internal and external pressure to open its borders for Shiite pilgrims to visit the holy cities of Karbala and Najaf.

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The post Pressure to Open Borders for Pilgrims despite Pandemic first appeared on Iraq Business News.

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Iraq Bans Foreign Arbaeen Pilgrims over COVID-19 Fears

By John Lee.

Iraq’s Higher Committee for Health and National Safety has decided to “ban the entry into Iraq of visitors  from all countries“. The move is an attempt to combat the coronavirus (Covid-19).

This will create problems for religious pilgrims hoping to attend the Shi’ite Muslim gathering of Arbaeen, held in early October, which would normally bring millions of people to the holy city of Kerbala.

According to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, Iraq’s Ambassador to Iran, Nasir Abdul Muhsin, confirmed that no foreign pilgrim will be permitted to visit Iraq for this year’s mourning rituals marking Arbaeen.

(Sources: Govt of Iraq, Tasnim)

The post Iraq Bans Foreign Arbaeen Pilgrims over COVID-19 Fears first appeared on Iraq Business News.