Initiative gains community support
Youth launch ‘Hussein Service Cleanup Campaign’ in Wasit
WASIT – Four young men from Al-Nu’maniya district, west of Wasit governorate, have launched the “Hussein Service Cleanup Campaign” to clean the streets after the Muharram mourning ceremonies. The initiative has received significant support from their peers, with many joining them over two nights.
The Shia faithful mourn the seventh-century martyrdom of Imam Hussein ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Mohammed, during the first ten days of Muharram, the first month on the Islamic hijri calendar.
Ali Muhammad Obeid, a participant in the campaign, told Network 964: “The idea started with four young men who gathered out of love for Hussein and pooled enough money to buy cleaning supplies. We promoted our work on social media, which encouraged and garnered support from the youth of Al-Nu’maniya.”
The group works from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m., cleaning the streets after the mourning events. In the first five nights, the campaign has grown to include over 30 participants.
“We are united in this initiative by our obedience to God and love for Imam Hussein,” said Obeid.
Although the mourning for Imam Hussein will conclude on the 10th of Muharram, Obeid and his friends plan to continue their campaign well beyond.
“We plan to shift to a weekly cleanup of the husseiniyas and mourning places in Al-Nu’maniya,” he said. Husseiniyas are worship places akin to a mosque used for religious rituals by the Shia.