United News of Bangladesh

On Saturday, thousands of Shiite pilgrims, dressed in black, began walking towards the golden shrine of Imam Moussa al-Kadhim in the al-Kadhimiyah district of northwestern Baghdad, reports AP. The shrine holds immense religious significance for Shiite Muslims, as it is the final resting place of Imam al-Kadhim, the seventh of the Twelve Imams, who passed away in the late eighth century. Gunmen kill 42 Shiites in northwest Pakistan This year's pilgrimage comes amid significant regional changes, leaving many Shiites feeling vulnerable. The fall of Bashar Assad's government in Syria, which had Iran’s backing, marked a pivotal shift. Iran’s support helped Assad maintain power throughout a brutal civil war, but the regime was recently toppled during a swift offensive led by the Sunni Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Other Iran-backed groups, such as Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, have also been severely impacted by over a year of conflict with Israel. Ceasefires are now in place in both Gaza and Lebanon. 25 people killed in days of clashes between Shiites and Sunni Muslims in Pakistan Mohammed al-Waswasi, a 28-year-old pilgrim from Wasit province, reached Baghdad after walking for two days while carrying a black banner of mourning. "We are deeply disheartened by the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, where we lost irreplaceable leaders," he said. "We come to Imam al-Kadhim today to mourn." Iraqi authorities closed major streets in Baghdad to accommodate the large number of pilgrims, mostly from southern and central regions. Tents were set up along the way to offer services and a place to rest. Iraqi security forces were deployed in large numbers to ensure the safety of the event, which usually attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from within Iraq and beyond. In al-Kadhimiyah, traffic was halted, and security checkpoints were established at all city entrances to control the flow of visitors.