Rahmatulah Baghban
Press TV, Kabul
People in Afghanistan on Friday celebrated the birth anniversary of Imam Mahdi, the 12th Shia Imam, and called for fostering brotherhood and solidarity among Muslims across the globe.
Mid-Shaban marks one of the important Islamic occasions - the birth anniversary of the last Shia Imam, known as the savior.
Like other Muslim countries, people in Afghanistan also mark the occasion with tremendous religious fervor. On Friday, they gathered at the popular Sakhi Shrine in central Kabul to engage in festivities and offer prayers.
Residents had colorfully decorated the shrine for the traditional annual ceremony. They also used the occasion to reaffirm their allegiance to the last Imam and to call for unity and solidarity among Muslims globally.
Meanwhile, the Taliban announced that they will beef up the security arrangements during the Eid holidays.
People in Afghanistan have been struggling with poverty and hunger following the hasty withdrawal of foreign forces and the sweeping takeover of the Taliban last August. But their zeal to mark important religious and cultural occasions has not been dampened.
Like every year, people flocked to the Sakhi Shrine on Friday for the love of Imam Mahdi and to keep alive their rich cultural legacy.