Eid al-Adha
More in the ceremony, the pilgrims will offer the Arafah Prayer which was recited originally during the Hajj at Mount Arafah on 9 Dhu al-Hijjah by Husayn ibn Ali, the Grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the third Imam of Shia Muslims.
On day of Arafah, Shia Muslims go to holy places such as mosques and graves of Shi'a Imams to recite Arafah prayer.About three millions of Muslims departed for Arafat Desert late on Sunday.Tuesday morning coincident with Eid al-Adha in Saudi Arabia, pilgrims will be headed for Mina in eastern Mecca, and will stay there till Thursday to performed the 'Stoning of the Devil' ritual at Jamarat.
The annual Hajj is a major religious duty for Muslims and must be performed at least once during a Muslim's lifetime.
“A mutual ceasefire would help the prospect for talks to take place between the parties to the conflict to find a political settlement,” said UNAMA chief Tadamichi Yamamoto in response to the Government’s announcement of the pause, which reportedly would begin today, UN official website reported.
If it holds, this would be the second ceasefire between the Government and the Taliban to be respected since conflict started in Afghanistan almost 20 years ago, following a brief pause in mid-June during the three-day Eid al-Fitr celebrations.
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“It is important to seize all opportunities for a negotiated end to the conflict so that all Afghans can enjoy the life of peace they so desperately want and need,” said Mr. Yamamoto, the top UN official in Afghanistan.
In July, UNAMA released figures highlighting the tragic toll the conflict has had on civilians, revealing that the first half of 2018 was the deadliest for Afghans since UNAMA began documenting civilian casualties in 2009, IRNA reported.
In the past week alone, a deadly battle for the city of Ghazni, south-west of Kabul, led to the death of over 150 civilians.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres released a statement on Thursday stressing the “urgent need for an immediate ceasefire and the opening of talks between the parties to the conflict to negotiate a sustainable peace.
”UNAMA, whose mandate it is to support the peace and reconciliation process, reiterated that it stands “ready to play any role requested by the parties to the conflict to achieve a negotiated peace”.
“This momentum must be upheld and the strong popular desire for peace must not be betrayed,” said the UN mission’s statement.
Meanwhile, at a June 30 news conference in Kabul,Afghan president Ashraf Ghani declared an end to the truce, but also called on the Taliban to resume peace negotiations.
Between June 15 and 17, videos and photos posted on news sites and social media showed soldiers and Taliban greeting and hugging each other and taking selfies in several provinces.
The three days of no fighting were unprecedented in the nearly 17-year conflict.
The renewed violence has dashed hopes that the truce would provide a clear path to peace talks. Taliban has refused calls to lay down their arms until foreign forces withdraw from Afghanistan.
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Afghanistan’s president extends ceasefire with Taliban
Taliban raise hopes with surprise ceasefire
