Actors and football players in Muharram

For Shi’a Muslims the Ashura is a day to make pilgrimages, for those who can, to a shrine in Karbala, the Mashhad al-Husayn, where the tomb of Husayn ibn Ali is. Shi’a Muslims wear mourning clothes and there is no sign of joy, no music, no dance and no earthly enjoyment. It is prohibited to plan any wedding or parties for this day, or near it. There is crying as poems are read out loud recalling the battle in Karbala and the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali.