This photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images made or published by Associated Press photographers in the Middle East, Afghanistan & Pakistan Region between Sept. 23-29, 2021.
This week’s selection includes scenes from across the region, including Shiite pilgrims descending on the holy shrines of Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas for the Arbaeen Shiite festival in Karbala, Iraq. The holiday marks the end of the forty-day mourning period after the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, in the 7th century.
This aerial photo shows Shiite pilgrims gathering between the holy shrines of Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas for the Arbaeen Shiite festival in Karbala, Iraq, Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. The holiday marks the end of the forty-day mourning period after the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the Prophet Muhammad's grandson in the 7th century. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil).
