The visit by Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas to Iraq is a form of "spiritual diplomacy" or "diplomacy of religious sentiment," seizing the opportunity of Grand Ayatollah Khomeini’s funeral to firmly connect with Iraq, a neighboring country sharing the same Shia roots.

In familiar terms from our side, this could be called "Shia united front."

According to arrangements, the body of Khomeini will be brought to the Iraqi holy cities of Karbala and Najaf before finally returning to his homeland in the Iranian holy city of Mashhad.

This arrangement carries profound significance, especially considering that in the 1980s, Khomeini was once the Iranian president who led the Iran-Iraq War against Saddam Hussein.

While Khomeini focused on religious affairs, it was actually Khomeini who held real military power; the establishment of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was also primarily his major achievement.

Times have changed. The late Khomeini now returns to Iraq—once a battlefield—together with today's Iran and Iraq, whose meaning is far-reaching.

Former adversaries have become comrades-in-arms, thanks to Trump.

Foreign Minister Abbas’s visit to Iraq holds great weight, as Iraq prepares for a large-scale funeral ceremony for Khomeini.

Iran attaches great importance to this funeral event, sending Abbas specifically to Iraq to meticulously organize the arrangements, ensuring everything proceeds without error and maintaining proper dignity.

Abbas visited not only the shrine of Imam Hussein, the third Shia Imam, in the holy city of Karbala, but also the mausoleum of Abbas (Image 1, 2, 3).

Beyond coordinating the funeral rites, this journey is also an extremely significant pilgrimage for Abbas personally.

Relatively speaking, among Shia figures, Imams Ali, Hasan, and Hussein are better known.

But Hazrat Abbas ibn Ali, though less widely recognized, is nonetheless a highly revered hero in Shia history. He was the grandson of Prophet Muhammad and the half-brother of Imam Hussein, the third Shia Imam.

During the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE, Abbas served as the standard-bearer of the army and died defending women and children and his family.

To commemorate him, his tomb lies in Karbala, adjacent to the shrine of Imam Hussein. The mausoleum is splendidly adorned and grand in architecture, serving as a vital center of pilgrimage for Shia Muslims worldwide.

In fact, these are all long-forgotten Shia historical events, known only to local believers.

I first encountered these stories during my university studies in academic specialization. I never expected that decades later, these ancient Shia narratives would resurface in strikingly familiar ways. Though somewhat academically specialized, they offer a window into understanding Shia religious faith.

This “religious diplomacy” undoubtedly serves as a powerful bond between Iran and Iraq.

Iraq feels honored to host Khomeini’s funeral, conveying a message of solidarity between Iran and Iraq standing shoulder to shoulder.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869481546838026/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.