Muharram Mourning Ceremonies Begin in Nigeria
Despite the crackdown by Nigerian army and security forces on Shias and supporters of senior cleric Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zakzaky, they organize the ceremonies like previous years.
The mourning rituals will continue until the tenth day of Muharram, known as Ashura.
In the ceremonies, the mourners beat their chest and recite elegies.
Yusuf Hassani, a supporter of Sheikh Zakzaky, has published online the following photos of the rituals in Abuja, the Nigerian capital.
Muharram is the first month in the lunar Hijri calendar.
Shia Muslims, and others in different parts of the world, hold ceremonies every year in the month of Muharram to mourn the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS) and his companions.
The third Shia Imam (AS) and a small group of his followers and family members were martyred by the tyrant of his time - Yazid Bin Moaweya, in the battle of Karbala on the tenth day of Muharram (known as Ashura) in the year 680 AD.
This year, Muharram began on Sunday, September 1.
