SCO leaders in Samarkhand
The historic Silk Road city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan is hosting leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization for a two-day summit meeting. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Iran’s President Ebrahim Raeisi will be participating in the event. The main joint session is scheduled for Friday. The SCO is made up of China, Russia, India, Pakistan and the ex-Soviet Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. It was set up in 2001. Its members work together to tackle joint security issues, cooperate militarily and promote trade. The organization accounts for 40 percent of the world's population and 28 percent of the global gross domestic product. Iran is in the process of becoming a full member.
Arba'een pilgrimage
Millions of pilgrims from across the world are converging on the Iraqi holy city of Karbala for the annual commemoration of Arba’een. The pilgrims, many of them from Iran, are making the journey toward Karbala on foot. The city houses the shrine of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad. This year, the pilgrimage, which is one of the largest religious congregations in the world, reaches its peak on the 17th of September. Arba’een marks 40 days after the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein. On that day, the Imam and dozens of his companions were martyred during the Battle of Karbala nearly fourteen centuries ago.
Mobilization to defend al-Aqsa
Hamas is inviting the Palestinian people to mobilize to defend the al-Aqsa Mosque against Israeli plots. The resistance movement says the residents of al-Quds are at the forefront of the campaign against the occupying regime, and that Palestinians are pinning their hopes on them to safeguard the holy mosque. Reports suggest that Israeli military forces and settlers are planning to launch a large-scale raid on the al-Aqsa Mosque in the coming weeks, to mark Jewish religious holidays. Radical groups are encouraging the settlers to storm the mosque at the beginning of the Jewish New Year in late September. Settlers backed by Israeli troops frequently raid the mosque, in a move that Palestinians view as a desecration of their sanctities.