HYDERABAD: The unrelenting violence in Syria has brought despair to the city's Shia Muslims who make their annual holy pilgrimage or Ziaraat to shrines in the Middle Eastern countries.
Thousands of Shia Muslim from India visit shrines in Syria in addition to the holy places in Mecca, Madina, Iraq and Iran. Ziaraat can be undertaken anytime of the year but most people prefer to visit the shrines during Arbaeen (40-day period after the tenth of Muharram). Many also undertake the pilgrimage after Haj.
With an estimated 5 lakh Shia population, more than five thousand pilgrims from Hyderabad visit Syria every year.
According to Abbas Ali Mousvi, caretaker of Badeshahi Ashoor Khana, there are at least six sites in Syria that pilgrims visit. "Most of the sites are in Damascus, Aleppo and in an area calledGolan Heights near the Lebanon border. All these areas have witnessed escalated tensions in the recent past," he said.
While some tour operators in the city are advising their clients against travelling to Syria, some have completely stopped the tours to the strife-torn country. Mirza Jawad Reza, of Karwan-e-Syed-e-Shohda Travels in Abids points out that the stay in Syria lasts for at least five days during which pilgrims traverse the country by road. "Now travelling to Syria is a risk. Since pilgrims travel mostly by bus or car, they will be in a vulnerable situation. Due to the restrictions imposed on issuing visas since the unrest started last year, it is easier for individuals to obtain them than it is for groups. The Syrian government is not allowing many foreigners to visit the country," he said.
The recent reported kidnapping of 48 Iranian pilgrims in Syria has only made matters worse. "The two groups that I had organised during last Arbaeen were not taken to Syria. Aleppo, which is the most important site for Shia Muslims, is most unsafe to travel to in the present situation. Future travel arrangements can be made only if the scenario in Syria improves," said Syed Safdar Hussain of Karawn-e-Fatima travels in Darulshifa.
Narrating the experience of a group of pilgrims which travelled last month, Reza said people were stranded in airports for long hours due to security concerns. "As of now pilgrims are not provided any security by the Syrian government. But in Iraq the situation has improved as the authorities provide security," he said. From Syria the pilgrims make their way to Iraq by road where 10 days are spent before proceeding for a week to Iran, the last leg of the pilgrimage. Mousvi added that the civil unrest has become the talking point during Iftar gatherings as the community members are worried about the worsening prospect of travelling to Syria in the coming months.
Written by Mohammed
We are group of Shia students whose aim is to make reach the fact about real islam and answer the doubts raised against shiaism in mondern days.
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