Abstract:

Religions and sects ensure that the past is always recreated in order to protect their sense of belonging and pass it on to future generations. One of the most important tools of this is carried out through religious rituals. Shiism is one of the schools of thought in which ritualistic religiosity is most common. The Karbala case played an important role in the transition of Shiism from a political movement to a theological phase and in gaining sectarian belongings. In the Shiite tradition, the visit and march of Arba‘een, which gained a special meaning as the 40th day of Hussein's death, played an important role in the penetration and systemization of Shiism in the social sphere. The Arba‘een march, which initially had a local appearance mostly by Iraqis, has recently turned into an event that has reached an international dimension. Visitors from various parts of the world travel the approximately eighty-kilometer road between Najaf and Karbala cities in a few days and contribute to the formation of social identity with various activities during this walk. In addition to the social and religious aspects of this activity, it also brought with it a political dimension that can be used by Iran against other Shiites and the countries in the region. It seems that this activity will be emphasized and used in the substitution of the Shiite identity in the upcoming periods. Our study aims to contribute to the field by examining this activity, which was not emphasized much on language before, in an interdisciplinary dimension.

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