How does the Al-Abbas's (p) Holy Shrine provide its services to those who are unable to come for the Arbaeen pilgrimage?

The efforts of the Al-Abbas's (p) Holy Shrine during the Arbaeen pilgrimage were not limited to serving the visitors present in the holy city of Karbala, but extended to include those whose circumstances prevented them from coming, through a wide range of media and virtual services that enable them to follow the major Ziyarats and spiritually connect with the atmosphere of the pilgrimage.

Continuous coverage of the Arbaeen pilgrimage

The Media Department of the Al-Abbas's (p) Holy Shrine, through the News Centre, provided continuous video news coverage and reports on events from the starting point of the pilgrims heading to Karbala in Ras al-Bisha, the southernmost point in Iraq, until their arrival at the shrines of Imam al-Hussayn and his brother Aba al-Fadl al-Abbas (peace be upon them). These coverages include unique stories of those who serve the visitors and comprehensive coverage of the sites and processions organised by the holy shrine during the Arbaeen pilgrimage.

Live streaming services

The Media Department has prepared a special plan for live broadcasting services to cover the mourning ceremonies and religious events in the city of Karbala, especially the Arbaeen pilgrimage, which saw this service provided to more than 80 satellite channels.

The head of the department, Mr. Ali Al-Badri, said: "The Al-Kafeel Centre for Artistic Production and Live Broadcasting, affiliated with the department, strives to convey an image of what is happening in Karbala during the Arbaeen pilgrimage through live broadcasts from within the two holy shrines of al-Hussayn and al-Abbas (peace be upon them), and the area between the two holy shrines."

He added that "the live broadcasting service provided by the centre is utilised by more than 80 satellite channels annually," pointing out that "there is communication with new channels outside the Arab community to benefit from this service." The Al-Kafeel Centre for Artistic Production and Live Broadcasting is considered one of the specialised centres in the media department, which offers its services in the field of live broadcasting, television program production, and documentary films.

Media productions documenting the Ziyarat

The media department's staff worked through their formations to produce news stories, reports, and documentaries that capture the humanitarian and service aspects of the Ziyarat, in addition to providing accurate infographic statistics through the technical support centre, reflecting the extent of the efforts made and the number of participants. Meanwhile, the journalistic stories unit provided high-quality media materials that highlight the visitors and the service providers of the processions.

Media partnerships and facilities

The Al-Abbas's (p) Holy Shrine has strengthened its media partnerships with local and international media outlets through the Media Marketing Division, which provided real facilities for broadcasting the events of the pilgrimage to the world. It also offered special support to bloggers, content creators, and photographers, enabling them to document and publish what is happening in Karbala. At the forefront of these facilities is the establishment of the media centre, which facilitates the tasks of journalists and media outlets in conveying the image of the Ziyarat Arbaeen to the entire world, in addition to launching a media application dedicated to organising and managing media outlets.

The application is considered a gateway to obtaining filming permits, as it provides a virtual environment through which photographers and those interested in documenting the millions-visitors event to Karbala can communicate, contributing to the wider dissemination of photos, videos, and reports related to the Arbaeen pilgrimage and the Ziyarat on the 10th of Muharram.

Digital platforms and multimedia

The shrine was keen to provide photographs and video clips documenting the great Ziyarat through its official platforms and the "Media" application, allowing media outlets and digital content to access high-quality materials, in addition to offering a virtual Ziyarat service.

The Ziyarat by proxy.. A spiritual bond from afar

The staff of the Sayed Servants Division at the Al-Abbas's (p) Holy Shrine perform the Ziyarat on behalf of those wishing to participate in the Arbaeen pilgrimage of Imam al-Hussayn (peace be upon him) through the Karbala Network. The head of the Holy Sanctuary Unit, Mr. Faiz Al-Taa'ma, said: "The unit's staff provides the Ziyarat by proxy service to commemorate the Ziyarat Arbaeen of Imam al-Hussayn (peace be upon him) for those who wish to do so through the Al-Kafeel Global Network, especially those who are unable to visit the holy shrines." He added that the department also contributes to receiving the Hussaini processions and visitors coming to the shrine of Aba al-Fadl al-Abbas (peace be upon him), in addition to performing the Ziyarat on the funerals, maintaining the shrine's grid and the holy courtyard, arranging the carpets, as well as perfuming and incense. With these efforts, the Al-Abbas's (p) Holy Shrine embodied its commitment to the comprehensiveness of the Hussaini service, extending its field and digital services to all lovers of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), wherever they are in the world.