WANA (Aug 20) – Abdullah Al-Salama rose from the wreckage of Gaza, still carrying the pain of losing his loved ones. His young son and daughter, his parents, his brothers and sisters—all perished in a single horrifying moment beneath the rubble of the bombings. Abdullah was the only survivor pulled out from that heavy pile of death, clutching his two children, though he could no longer hear their voices.

 

When he was taken out of Gaza for treatment, his heart bore a pain far greater than his physical wounds. His entire world had crumbled in the blink of an eye, and now he was on his way to Iraq, walking the path known as the “Mashaya,” a route that millions of Shia Muslims traverse each year during Arbaeen. On this path, Abdullah found himself walking alongside pilgrims united by their love for Husayn (A).

 

But this year, amidst all the love and faith, a new slogan echoed: “Karbala Tariq Al-Aqsa” (Karbala is the path to Al-Aqsa). This simple phrase set Abdullah’s heart aflame. Could it be true? Could there really come a day when these people, this vast crowd, would march not to Karbala, but to Jerusalem? The place where his home was destroyed, the place where his loved ones lay buried.

The new mural in Ferdows Square, Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, was created for the Arbaeen of Hussain, titled "Karbala, The Path to Al-Aqsa.". Social Media / WANA News Agency

The new mural in Ferdows Square, Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, was created for the Arbaeen of Hussain, titled “Karbala, The Path to Al-Aqsa.”. Social Media / WANA News Agency

With every step toward Karbala, Abdullah murmured this slogan to himself. Though Karbala was the destination of this journey, his mind constantly flew toward Al-Aqsa. In the crowd, he saw love and solidarity. People from Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iran, and dozens of other countries, all marching toward Karbala with a shared purpose. For the first time, Abdullah felt a sense of unity he had never experienced before in the ruins of Gaza.

 

He believes in this slogan; a day will come when these same people, these passionate pilgrims, will march together toward Jerusalem. “Karbala Tariq Al-Aqsa”—this phrase is now etched in Abdullah’s heart, a reminder of the day when the liberation of Jerusalem will be near, and justice will be brought to the oppressed people of Palestine.