As the Independent reports<\/a>, massive crowds paid homage to the shrines of\u00a0Imam Hussein and his half-brother Abbas in Karbala<\/a>, where they were killed in a revolt against the Umayyad ruler<\/a> Yazeed in the 7th century AD when they refused to pledge allegiance to Yazeed\u2019s Umayyad caliphate.<\/p>\n The brave men, women, and children marched on, knowing that an ISIS suicide bomber had just struck near Karbala<\/a> the week prior. According to the Independent, organizers of the annual Arbaeen procession in U.K. have previously spoken of their frustration over the lack of mainstream media coverage of the event.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately [some] media outlets have gone for stories that to some extent can be divisive. If a group of Muslims does something good, it\u2019s not mentioned or the religion is not mentioned. But if someone does something [negative], it is on the front page and their religion is mentioned,\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>Mohammed Al-Sharifi, a volunteer at last year\u2019s event told the Independent. But peace and empathy are enemies to the establishment who need you to hate others. When the establishment can paint things as black and white, it is easier for you to be controlled. Consequently, this is the exact mission of ISIS.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thefreethoughtproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/3arbaeen_1437_karbala_worlds_largest_gathering30.jpg?w=800\")
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\nRegistering only as a blip on the Independent<\/a>, this most amazing feat was conducted in spite of ISIS, as well as the sacred annual pilgrimage.
\nAs the UK paper notes<\/a>, the march comes as nearly 80 people, many of them pilgrims returning from commemorating Arbaeen in Karbala<\/a>, were killed in the latest Isis attack in the area.
\nIsis has declared Shia Muslims apostates and targeted them in its bloody campaign to establish a hardline caliphate across Iraq and Syria, according to the Independent.<\/p>\n
\nIn recent years, this march has taken on a dual purpose. Where it was once a march\u00a0for Arbaeen, it now also encompasses the Shia resistance and protest against ISIS terrorists.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/thefreethoughtproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/14169199874.jpg?w=800\")
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\n\u201cI came walking from Basra with my wife and three sons \u2026 This is the third time. We started walking 13 days ago and reached Karbala<\/a> on Sunday night,\u201d said\u00a0Pilgrim Jaber Kadhem Khalif.
\nAccording to the Independent, the 40-year-old said his prayers would go to the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary group that has tens of thousands of men deployed on the front lines to fight ISIS.
\nUmm Ali, who came without her husband, as he is currently fighting ISIS on the front lines, said,\u00a0\u201cI came with my son and two daughters. I came from Samawa to Najaf<\/a> by car, then from Najaf<\/a> to Karbala on foot, to make a plea for my husband\u2019s safety.
\n\u201cWe ask God to support us against Daesh [ISIS] members, to help us liberate Mosul and urge our politicians to remember the people who have sacrificed so much.\u201d
\nIn spite of this pilgrimage\u00a0being one of the most massive marches in the world, the West conveniently ignored it. Arbaeen is magnitudes larger than the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca \u2014 yet Mecca is the only event that ever receives headlines in the West. Given the recent revelation that the Shia Muslims are also marching against Daesh, one can\u2019t help but wonder why this isn\u2019t all over American news.<\/p>\n
\nAnd he is right.
\nMany of the stories on Muslims in the U.S. that make it on to the mainstream are those that stoke divide. When a Muslim hero saves hundreds of lives by jumping on a bomb \u2014 which actually happened in July<\/a> \u2014 the mainstream and the Islamophobic <\/a>alternative media is mum.
\nThose who would judge 1.6 billion people by the actions of just a few are creating a narrative in which innocent lives are put in danger.
\nThroughout history, most mainstream religions have perpetuated extreme violence upon the world. To attempt to paint Islam as the problem is no better than labeling all Catholics murders for the inquisition.<\/p>\n