Lebanon: Ashura

Ashura is observed on the 10th day of Muharram, the first and holiest month of the Islamic year. The day commemorates the death of Imam Hussein in 680 A.D., which led to the split between the Sunni and Shia sects of Islam. In observance of the holiday, Shia men express their loyalty to Hussein through the practice of self-flagellation, beating themselves with chains and swords in an attempt to connect with the seventh century Imam's suffering.