Lebanon, Beirut. South Beirut near Rue Chijan. 1998 This area is dominated by Hezbollah symphatisants.
Ashura, the festival of commemoration of the battle of Karbala at which the imam Husayn had been killed in the year 680. For the Shi’is this was one of the most significant days in history. During ten days people tell the story of Husayn. They wear signs of mourning (everybody is dressed in black), and sermons are preached in the mosques. At a certain moment the telling of the story becomes a dramatic re-enactment, people hit themselves on the chest or on the head.