Iraq pushes green initiatives for Arbaeen pilgrimage – Shafaq News

Shafaq News- Baghdad

The Iraq Green Observatory on Saturday called for greener practices
during Iraq’s Arbaeen pilgrimage, encouraging service tents (mawakibs) to cut
plastic use, reduce food waste and adopt cleaner methods to manage the millions
of visitors expected to take part in the annual religious event.

In a statement, the environmental watchdog outlined the “Green
Procession” initiative, proposing the creation of “environmental service teams”
within mawakibs to collect waste from roads and public areas throughout the pilgrimage.
It also called on the Ministry of Environment to launch a nationwide “Cleanest
Mawkib” competition through its provincial offices to reward service tents that
show strong commitment to environmental protection and cleanliness.

“Such a competition could encourage mawakibs to improve waste management
while continuing their role in providing food, water and other services to
pilgrims,” the observatory argued, warning against cutting down trees for
firewood while cooking, preparing tea or making other hot drinks during the
pilgrimage.

Food waste was another major concern raised by the group, which noted
that large amounts of prepared food are often discarded by service tents and
visitors. Calling for better planning and the preparation of “smart quantities”
of food, the Observatory recommended creating a “blessing basket” to distribute
clean, packaged surplus food to nearby families in need or send it to
charitable restaurants.

Arbaeen marks the 40th day of mourning after the martyrdom of Imam Hussein,
the third Shia Imam and the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, and draws
millions of Shiite pilgrims to Karbala each year, making it one of the largest
annual religious gatherings in the world. During the ritual, pilgrims are
offered meals, drinks and other forms of hospitality, with many volunteers
viewing the preparation and distribution of food as an expression of devotion
and a way of showing care and generosity toward visitors.

Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi’s government has allocated 52.5 billion Iraqi
dinars ($34.1 million) to agencies involved in organizing the pilgrimage and to
the holy shrines. It has also leased 2,400 buses, in addition to deploying
state-owned vehicles, to transport pilgrims.

Read more: Faith and finances: Religious tourism fuels Iraq’s economy