Shiite Pilgrims Swarm Baghdad to Mark Imam Moussa al-Kazim’s Martyrdom Anniversary

Shiite pilgrims gather at the Imam Moussa al-Kazim (A.S.) shrine for the annual commemoration, in the Shiite district of Kazimiyah, in Baghdad.According to the Shiite News,Hundreds of thousands of Shiite Muslim pilgrims are flocking to a Baghdad shrine to observe the death of Imam Moussa al-Kazim (A.S.), snarling traffic and sending security forces to the streets to protect the worshippers.

Shiite pilgrims have been a favorite target of Wahabi insurgents hoping to inflame sectarian tensions.

But no major attacks against the throng were reported so far on Tuesday morning. Eyewitnesses estimated the crowd number at hundreds of thousands.

Iraqi state TV said more than 3 million have visited the gold-domed Imam Moussa al-Kazim (A.S.) shrine over the last few days.

Police used concrete blocks and razor wire to close roads across the capital to safeguard the pilgrims.