Elections Conflict With Pilgrimage For Iraqi Shi'ites

Reuters reports today on the choice bwetween voting and religious observance facing many Shi'ite Muslims in southern Iraq. Elections for local provincial councils will be held on January 31. This is in the midst of the traditional pilgrimage to the holy city of Kerbala that marks Arbain, or 40 days of mourning for the Prophet Mohammad's grandson Imam Hussein. The pilgrimage culminates in mid-February. Pilgrims who come from Basra and beyond walk for 250 miles. Some have decided to return home to vote without completing a full pilgrimage. Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani says that Iraqis should wait and vote before starting out on the pilgrimage.