Shafaq News- Najaf
Millions of pilgrims streamed into Iraq's holy city of Najaf on Thursday to mark Eid Al-Ghadir, converging on the shrine of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib in one of the largest annual religious gatherings in the Shiite Muslim world.
“This is a very large occasion, particularly in Najaf, which today receives millions of visitors to renew their allegiance and loyalty to Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib,” provincial government spokesman Ahmed Duaibis told Shafaq News.
The occasion commemorates the event of Ghadir Khumm in 632 CE, when Prophet Muhammad, returning from his Farewell Pilgrimage, delivered a sermon that Shiite Muslims regard as the designation of Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor.
The celebrations coincided with the 15th Ghadir Week organized by the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf, which announced that this year's program included participants from 27 countries and activities across nearly 150 locations worldwide. From the early hours of the morning, crowds moved steadily toward the shrine in central Najaf, where pilgrims gathered for prayers, religious ceremonies, charitable activities, and communal meals marking the holiday.
To manage the influx, authorities implemented an extensive security, health, transport, and service plan across the province. Duaibis explained that police, intelligence, national security, Popular Mobilization Forces (a predominantly Shiite coalition of armed factions), the Imam Ali Combat Division, and border guard forces were deployed as part of the operation, while additional reinforcements were sent to support local security units.
Civil defense teams and medical crews were also stationed throughout the city, particularly around the shrine and the old city, in order to manage crowd movement and respond to high summer temperatures affecting visitors.
On the service side, municipal departments across Najaf and private contractors launched around-the-clock cleaning campaigns. According to Duaibis, Najaf Governor Yousef Kanawi directed the deployment of 400 additional sanitation workers to the old city, where the largest concentrations of pilgrims gathered.