Afghan Shi'a Mark The Day Of Ashura

Afghan Shi'ite Muslims in Kabul beat themselves with steel-tipped flails on November 24, the Day of Ashura, which marks the tenth day of the mourning month of Muharram. This event commemorates the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. Hussein was killed during a battle in 680 A.D. in Karbala, a city in modern-day Iraq. (RFE/RL)