Religion & Communication (Feb 2018)
Affection and Identity as Portrayed by Arbaeen Procession; a Study of the Nature, Functions and Structure of Arbaeen Procession from the Viewpoint of Ritual Communication
Abstract
Religious rituals provide a particular opportunity for their adherents and practitioners to assert themselves vis-à-vis other religious identities, and at the same time they are an apt opportunity for the representation of their cultural and social conditions. Among Islamic sects, Shia , as a remarkable minority whose affectionate attachment to the Prophet's Household is a significant feature of it, has been unduly marginalized in long terms of its history under the pressure of Sunni majority, and has been granted little time to demonstrate its magnificence. Husseini rituals are among the most important and efficient collective rituals of Shias that are mixed with the popular culture in terms of the development and performance quality. Arbaeen procession which is organized annually in the direction of Karbala on the 40th day of Imam Hussein's martyrdom has proved itself, especially in recent years, as one of the most massive rituals in the world, by involving large sections of Shias from around the world. In this research, by considering the specific features and advantages of this, it has been attempted to study this phenomenon by using direct observation of the event and qualitative demographic assessment and by considering the three basic pillars of ritual practice, i.e. essence, structure and functions through the participants' (pilgrims, promoters and organizers) interpretations. It must be noticed that despite a recourse to the ritual background which refers to Iraqi social history, the focus of our research is on Iranians. The results derived from two phases of assessing data gained through interviews, field observations and coding them show that this ritual is in close contact with three general concepts: affection to the Prophet's Household, global demonstration and Shia identity.
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