Iraq's religious minorities and Shiite mourning holidays

The Islamic months of Muharram and Safar are marked by Shiite mourning — in commemoration of the martyrdom of Hussein bin Ali — that takes place in all social scenes of Iraqi Shiite areas. Black flags, banners and Shiite symbols prevail throughout villages and towns. Mourning prayers and chants are broadcast everywhere. People march in large mourning processions that begin from the farthest cities in southern and central Iraq and end in mass rallies on the 10th of Muharram and 20th of Safar in Karbala, 100 kilometers (62 miles) southwest of Baghdad.

This phenomenon constitutes an all-encompassing social power which makes it difficult for non-Shiites to distance themselves from it. Thus, non-Shiites would be left with two options to deal with this situation: Either they react positively toward it as a way to identify with the majority, or they become more dogmatically biased toward their own sect. Eventually, the practice of this phenomenon is seen as a social challenge to the different sects in Iraq in one way or another.

Before the emergence of sectarianism in Iraq, the Shiite phenomenon of mourning used to be a general cultural event, as other sects would join Shiites in carrying out these ceremonies out of sympathy rather than religious duty. This still happens to a certain extent in some areas, although they have dwindled due to sectarian ditching and extremism in carrying out these practices. As a result, this phenomenon has become linked to Shiite identity rather than a cultural humanitarian practice in which other people can participate.

Minorities feel that they are under siege and are being attacked within a dominating cultural environment. They feel they cannot be publicly present, unless within the cultural framework of the predominant religious majority. Thus, they try not to clash with this social power by refraining from taking any action that could be understood as being contradictory to the mourning phenomenon.