Iran International
The Islamic Republic’s massive investment in this year’s Arbaeen pilgrimage to Iraqi holy cities is stirring fresh outrage at home, where Iranians face spiraling inflation, unpaid wages and hours-long power and water outages.
As cities suffer blackouts and food rots in fridges, many ask why the state can swiftly and efficiently mobilize for a symbolic cross-border march—yet fails to provide basic services to its own people.
“Mr. President, if in these circumstances all preparations—from storing water, bread, and food to providing electricity, internet, foreign currency and transport—can be arranged for Arbaeen through jihadi management, then please do the same for non-Arbaeen matters,” wrote Islamic studies scholar Mahmoud Nejati-Hosseini in a widely shared post on X.
Economist Sadegh Alhosseini, a professor at Tehran University, slammed Tehran Municipality for spending millions on the pilgrimage while failing to pay sanitation workers and contract staff.
“The pilgrims of Imam Hussein do not need your services. If you have money, pay your workers’ wages,” he wrote on X.
Billions spent
Each year, authorities allocate vast sums to Arbaeen—covering transport, healthcare, logistics, and religious outreach.
This year’s effort includes $67 million in subsidies, 1,550 tons of rice, meat, and sugar for religious camp (mawkib) organizers and support from virtually every branch of government—from the Revolutionary Guards to municipal bus fleets.
Perks for pilgrims include free transportation, meals, lodging, mobile services and special leave for civil servants.
“Where does the money come from?” one user asked on X. “From my pocket and the rest of the people—people who, in 60°C heat, lose power for at least two hours every day.”
What is Arbaeen?
The Arbaeen pilgrimage marks the end of the 40-day mourning period after Ashura, commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussain ibn Ali, the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, in 680 AD.
The procession draws millions of Shia pilgrims, many of whom walk long distances to the shrines of Karbala and Najaf.
Tehran has heavily promoted the event in recent years. Iranian participation has surged from 40,000 in 2010 to around 3.6 million in both 2023 and 2024, according to official figures. Over 2.8 million have already registered for this year’s walk, set for August 14.
Shrine officials say more than 20 million people take part—a figure that likely includes local attendees and repeat visitors during the extended mourning period.
Soft power
Officials frame Arbaeen as more than a religious duty—it’s a strategic asset. With Saudi Arabia hosting the Hajj, Iran has cast Arbaeen as a rival spectacle.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has called the pilgrimage a “combat rehearsal” and a show of ideological unity.
The mawkibs lining the route provide rest, food and shelter, but also serve as platforms for political messaging and solidarity with groups like Iraq’s Hashd al-Shaabi militia.
Above all, the Arbaeen appears to have become an opportunity for the Islamic Republic to reinforce its vision of transnational Shia identity and resistance.
