Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei is set to be laid to rest at the shrine of Imam Ali Raza, the eighth Shia imam, in Mashhad on Thursday after large funeral ceremonies were held in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala.
Millions of mourners gathered in the two Iraqi holy cities as Khamenei’s coffin was brought from Iran for farewell ceremonies before being transported to Karbala.
Authorities in Iraq declared Wednesday a public holiday as part of six days of funeral events planned for Khamenei, who was killed along with members of his family in a joint US-Israeli strike on Iran on February 28.
In Najaf, despite extreme heat, huge crowds filled the streets from early morning. Many mourners attempted to move closer to the coffin as it was carried on a truck towards the shrine of Imam Ali.
Murtada al-Maliki, 27, who travelled overnight from southern Iraq to attend the ceremony, said Khamenei had “stood with us against Daesh”, referring to the militant Islamic State group, and had challenged Israel.
Another mourner, Mohammed al-Bayati, 30, said he would not have missed the funeral of “the person who challenged the power of America and Israel”.
At the Imam Ali shrine, religious scholars wearing white and black turbans gathered to offer prayers, while thousands of mourners crowded inside the mausoleum to approach Khamenei’s coffin before it was taken to Karbala on Wednesday afternoon through the historic Arbaeen route.
Following the major farewell ceremony in Najaf, millions more attended funeral prayers and processions in Karbala. Some observers estimated the number of participants at four million or more.
The presence of Khamenei’s remains in Najaf and Karbala carried deep significance for Shia Muslims, as Karbala is associated with the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), an event that remains central to Shia religious identity and attracts millions of pilgrims every year.
Iraqi officials and allied groups described the large turnout as a symbol of unity and resistance against US and Israeli actions.
Former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, leader of the State of Law Coalition, said attending Khamenei’s funeral and honouring his legacy was “a duty”.
“Commemorating the legacy of the martyred Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei, the great leader of the Islamic nation, and participating in his funeral is a duty because he was a great leader who remained steadfast, endured, stood against challenges and brought victory to the Iranian nation,” al-Maliki said.
“Everything the Iraqi people do today through their participation in the funeral of the martyred Imam Khamenei and through their other supportive positions, no matter how great or valuable, remains insufficient compared with the stature of this great figure, a figure who shaped a bright future not only for the Iranian nation but for many countries in the region,” he added.
