(3 Jun 2013) SHOTLIST
1. Wide of pilgrims walking walking towards the shrine of Shiite imam, Moussa al-Kadhim
2. Pilgrims carrying flags, walking
3. Various of pilgrims, some wearing black, walking
4. Various of people cooking and offering food to pilgrims
5. People eating
6. Man serving tea to pilgrims
7. Man drinking tea
8. Pilgrims walking
9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Hilal Sultan, Pilgrim:
"God willing, this pilgrimage will unify the people of Iraq - Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds and Christians."
10. Wide of pilgrims walking
11. Various of Iraqi police searching pilgrims
12. Various of pilgrims walking
STORYLINE:
Thousands of Shiite pilgrims from around Iraq headed to the holy Shrine of Imam Moussa al-Kadhim on Monday, to commemorate the anniversary of the death of one of the 12 Shiite saints.
Imam Kadhim died in 799 AD and is buried in a mosque in the northern Baghdad neighbourhood of Kazimiyah.
The climax of the pilgrimage will be next Tuesday and Wednesday.
Police checkpoints were set up and many roads were closed in a bid to prevent attacks that might target the Shiite pilgrims.
Huge religious processions of Iraq's Shiite sect have often been targeted by suspected Sunni insurgents in the past years of sectarian bloodshed that had the nation teetering on the brink of civil war from 2005 to 2007.
To boost and control security in Baghdad, the authorities have banned more than 400-thousand vehicles from Baghdad.
Carts pulled by horses and motorcycles were also banned.
In 2005, more than 900 people died in a stampede which appeared to have been sparked by a rumour that a suicide bomber was among the more than one million (m) people who had gathered at the Kazimiyah shrine to mark the imam's death.
The pilgrimage isn't the most important among Shiite ceremonies, but is considered significant.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
