IRAQ-RELIGION-SHIITE-ARBAEEN

Iraqi Shiite Muslim pilgrims perform acts of worship during the Arbaeen religious festival which marks the 40th day after Ashura, commemorating the seventh century killing of Prophet Mohammed's grandson, Imam Hussein, at the Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometres) south of Baghdad on December 13, 2014. Millions of Shiite Muslim pilgrims defied the threat of jihadist attacks and thronged the Iraqi shrine city of Karbala for the climax of annual Arbaeen mourning rituals. A sea of devotees descended on the city to reach the shrine of Imam Hussein, beating their heads and chests to show remorse for not saving him from the armies of the caliph Yazid that beheaded him in 680 AD. AFP PHOTO/ MOHAMMED SAWAF (Photo credit should read MOHAMMED SAWAF/AFP via Getty Images)