Protesters in Najaf, central Iraq, following the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Reuters
Protesters in Najaf, central Iraq, following the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Reuters
Protesters in Najaf, central Iraq, following the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Reuters
Protesters in Najaf, central Iraq, following the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Reuters

Uncertainty over Hassan Nasrallah’s burial place as supporters mourn across the region


Sinan Mahmoud
  • English
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Hezbollah has yet to announce plans for the funeral of its leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli air strike on Friday, with conflicting reports emerging on whether his final resting place will be in Lebanon or Iraq.

Over the past days, claims by Iraqi officials and local media have suggested that Nasrallah may be buried in the revered Imam Hussein shrine in the city of Karbala, south of Baghdad, as a sign of his status within the Shiite community. However, no official statement has been made by Hezbollah or Nasrallah’s family.

“The body of the beloved will be buried next to ... Imam Hussein, peace be upon him, in Karbala,” Abdul Amir Al Teiban, an adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani, said on X on Sunday.

The air strike that hit Hezbollah’s underground central command in the southern suburbs of Beirut marked one of the most significant escalations between Hezbollah and Israel in years. Israeli attacks on Hezbollah have escalated over the past month that have killed more than 1,000 people in Lebanon, according to the country's Health Ministry.

On Sunday, Nasrallah’s body was recovered from the site of the strike which levelled six residential buildings. His body had no direct wounds and the cause of death appeared to be blunt trauma from the force of the blast, Reuters reported, citing medical and security sources. Several senior Hezbollah commanders and at least one Iranian General linked to Iran’s Quds Force were also killed.

Public mourning for Nasrallah has already begun in both Lebanon and Iraq. In several Iraqi cities, symbolic funeral processions are being held, with supporters carrying a mock coffin and chanting in honour of the assassinated leader. Shiite religious leaders, politicians and residents are setting up tents to receive mourners with his pictures in the streets with his saying: “Certainly, we will triumph.”

People carry a mock coffin of Hassan Nasrallah at a symbolic funeral in Najaf, central Iraq. Reuters
People carry a mock coffin of Hassan Nasrallah at a symbolic funeral in Najaf, central Iraq. Reuters

In Shiite Islam, the burial of senior religious leaders and clerics within the shrines of revered Imams holds profound religious and spiritual significance. These burial sites are often located in iwans, the vaulted and open-fronted small halls that surround the shrines.

Burial within or near the shrine is not just a religious honour but a symbolic gesture, elevating Nasrallah’s status by associating him with the spiritual and historical significance of the Imam. As the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, Imam Hussein is a central figure in Shiite Islam, deeply rooted in Shiite narratives for fighting against oppression and tyranny.

Early on Tuesday, the Israeli military announced that it had launched a ground invasion in southern Lebanon. Military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X that forces had begun to target Hezbollah infrastructure and the offensive is taking place “in a number of villages near the border from which an immediate and real threat to Israeli towns on the northern border emanates”.

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wes%20Ball%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Owen%20Teague%2C%20Freya%20Allen%2C%20Kevin%20Durand%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ICC T20 Team of 2021

Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

Afghanistan squad

Gulbadin Naib (captain), Mohammad Shahzad (wicketkeeper), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

COMPANY PROFILE

Company name: SimpliFi

Started: August 2021

Founder: Ali Sattar

Based: UAE

Industry: Finance, technology

Investors: 4DX, Rally Cap, Raed, Global Founders, Sukna and individuals

Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic

John Zubrzycki, Hurst Publishers

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

In numbers

1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:

  • 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
  • 150 tonnes to landfill
  • 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal

800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal

Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year

25 staff on site

 

Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

MATCH INFO

Pakistan 106-8 (20 ovs)

Iftikhar 45, Richardson 3-18

Australia 109-0 (11.5 ovs)

Warner 48 no, Finch 52 no

Australia win series 2-0

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Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

The 12 breakaway clubs

England

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur

Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus

Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid

Roll%20of%20Honour%2C%20men%E2%80%99s%20domestic%20rugby%20season
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Brief scores:

Manchester United 4

Young 13', Mata 28', Lukaku 42', Rashford 82'

Fulham 1

Kamara 67' (pen),

Red card: Anguissa (68')

Man of the match: Juan Mata (Man Utd)

Updated: October 08, 2024, 4:18 AM`