The Iranian pilgrims of Imam Hussein’s shrine, located in Iraq’s city of Karbala, travel to Erbil for the first time to make a stop before heading south where they commemorate Arbaeen.
Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF) welcomed the pilgrims and provided them with shelter, food, and medical assistance in the venues of the Erbil International Fairground (EIF), located in Sami Abdulrahman Park.
On Wednesday, September 7, 2022, the Erbil governor, the BCF president and the consul general of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Erbil, visited the EIF to welcome the pilgrims and organized a joint press conference.
The Erbil governor, Omed Khoshnaw, said the pilgrims are coming to Iraq from Haji Omeran Border Crossing for the first time to head towards Najaf and Karbala. He noted that 1,183 pilgrims arrived in Erbil on September 7 alone, and a thousand others arrived safely on the previous day. He added that they have been told by the KRG Prime Minister to provide the best possible services to the pilgrims.
Regarding the BCF’s role, the governor said the BCF is the key factor in the success of the process.
The consul general of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Nasroullah Rashnoudi, said it is a new experience for the pilgrims to visit the holy sites from Erbil, noting that preparations have been well made for sheltering the pilgrims during their stay in Erbil.
The BCF president, Musa Ahmed, also stated that they will continue to provide services to the pilgrims in collaboration with the Erbil governorate, affirming that they want to show the Kurdistan Region’s beautiful picture to the neighbouring countries, which is stemmed from the philosophy of the Kurdish legendary leader Mustafa Barzani.
He further shed light on the relationship between the Kurdistan Region and the Islamic Republic of Iran, referring to the support of the Islamic Republic to the Kurds in the past during previous Iraqi regime atrocities against the Kurds. He thanked the country for the needed support in those difficult times.
