Erbil marks Ashura with 400kg community meal

Shafaq News- Erbil

An Ashura mawkib* in Erbil turned 400 kilograms of meat into free meals on Thursday evening, feeding mourners and visitors in a city where the annual commemoration is marked through food, service, and collective memory.

Ashura, observed on the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, marks the killing of Imam Hussein bin Ali, the third Shia Imam, at the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. For Shia Muslims, the day carries themes of sacrifice, dignity, and standing for truth against power.

Um Mustafa, who runs the mawkib, told Shafaq News that she organizes the initiative every year in Erbil. Volunteers cook rice and qeema, a meat-based Iraqi dish commonly served at religious gatherings, before distributing the meals free of charge to mourners and passersby.

The initiative is meant to “preserve Ashura rituals” and serve those taking part in the commemoration.

While Iraq’s largest Ashura gatherings take place in Karbala and Najaf, the rituals are also observed annually in the Kurdistan Region, including in Erbil, where black banners, mourning gatherings, and food distribution mark the day.

* A mawkib is a volunteer service station that provides food and support during religious commemorations.