By Mohammed Shafeeq and Sharat Pradhan,

Hyderabad/Lucknow, Sep 29 (IANS) Undaunted by the killings of three Indian Shias in Iraq, members of the community are continuing to queue up for pilgrimage to the holiest shrines in that war-torn country. Though the slaying of the three from Andhra Pradesh in Iraq on Sep 1 raised concerns about the security of Indian pilgrims, the incident does not appear to have hit the enthusiasm of the community to undertake the Iraq journey.

The firm belief that one should at least once in a life time visit the tombs of Prophet Mohammed's son-in-law Hazrat Ali at Najaf and grandson Imam Hussain at Karbala, both in Iraq, is what keeping the pilgrims unmindful of the risks involved.

That is the reason why Indian Shias continued the pilgrimage or 'Ziyarat' - rated next only to Haj - even during the eight-year war between Iran and Iraq and during the repressive regime of Saddam Hussain. An estimated 2,000 to 5,000 Indian Shias go on pilgrimage to the Iraq-Iran-Syria circuit every year.

A large chunk of them are from Lucknow, which has a major Shia concentration (250,000 approximately, forming about 30 per cent of the overall local Muslim population), Maulana Mohammad Yasoob Athar, a member of the All India Shia Personal Law Board, told IANS in the Uttar Pradesh capital.

Every year 500 Shias from Hyderabad and other parts of Andhra Pradesh undertake the journey. With about 200,000 Shias in a population of four million, Hyderabad has the second largest concentration of Shias after Lucknow.

However, the first-ever terror attack targeted at Indian pilgrims this month raised concerns in some quarters. Tour operators feared that the government might intervene to stop the pilgrimages.

Shia religious and political leaders, however, said New Delhi should do nothing to stop Shias from undertaking the tour as it is purely a religious affair. They instead want the government to take steps for the security of Indian pilgrims.

Two tour operators in Hyderabad, whose packages covers pilgrimage to all holy shrines in Syria, Iraq and Iran, are continuing their plans for three seasons of 'Ziyarat' scheduled to begin after Haj early next year.

Fearing that they might come under the government scanner, the tour operators refused to share any details about their plans.

Sources close to the operators said the government could not stop Shias from visiting Iraq since they do not require official permission.

The tour operators generally obtain group visas for pilgrims from Damascus. On reaching the Syrian capital they get visas for Iraq and Iran. The pilgrims in groups of 25 to 50 people easily get visas for Iraq on reaching the border with Syria, said the sources.

During Saddam Hussain's rule each pilgrim had to shell $300 for a visa but now the authorities are collecting a nominal $4 as visa fee. With the new Shia dominated government in Baghdad slashing taxes on hotels, the package has become cheaper.

While a package tour in the past cost Rs.75,000-80,000, it is now Rs.50,000-55,000. "The package charges vary depending on the embarking point and type of accommodation one is opting," said Syed Hamid Hussain Jafri, president, Andhra Pradesh Shia Youth Conference.

The pilgrims are offered three different packages. The package, which is most sought after, coincides with 'Arbaeen' or a ceremony marking 40th day after the martyrdom of Imam Hussain on 10th day of Moharrum, the first month of Islamic calendar.

During the entire tour of 35-40 days, it is the 800 km journey by road from Jordanian border to Iraqi side which is considered relatively unsafe because of the fear of thugs looting the convoys. It was on this route that gunmen seized three Indian and 15 Pakistani men pilgrims and gunned them down.

No Shia pilgrim was ever harmed in Iraq, not even under Saddam Hussain's regime when Shias were suppressed. The community leaders do not agree that the recent incident was the handiwork of Sunni insurgents.

"Sunnis and Shias are living in perfect harmony despite the attempts by America to incite sectarian violence," said Shia cleric Moulana Syed Taqi Raza Abidi, who visited Iraq on several occasions in the past.

Some Shia leaders blamed bandits for the recent incident. Abidi said the gunmen could have attacked the bus as it was carrying many Pakistani Shia pilgrims, who do not command the same respect as Indian Shias among the local population.

Nevertheless, they want the tour operators to ensure that two armed guards are deployed on every bus carrying pilgrims. "This is where the Indian government can take up the issue with Iraqi authorities," said Moulana Abidi.

"It is necessary that we take all precautions because we are not going there to die," he said.

However, a section of leaders feel that the wish for martyrdom had only increased after the incident.

"One who embarks on the pilgrimage wishes that he breaths his last in the holy city of Karbala and gets buried there. One can't ask for more," said Jafri, who undertook the tour for three successive years since 2003.

The families of the three men killed consider fortunate that their members could get a burial in Karbala. Even the killings could not stop their women and other members of the group from continuing the pilgrimage. The group, which is now visiting Makkah in Saudi Arabia, is expected to return after 10 days.

Said Syed Ejaz, owner of a travel agency in Lucknow: "Bulk of the pilgrims are drawn from lower income or middle class. I am aware of many people who have paid up through contributions from friends and relatives.

"Unlike the past when one could fly to Baghdad, now one has to route the journey through Tehran, from where one has to take the road route, which is long and tedious," he said. The bus journey from Tehran to Karbala (the most important of the religious destinations) takes about 22 hours.

According to Z.H. Kazmi, a senior Shia citizen in Lucknow: "The journey is really very tiring and not easy for the elderly. Yet people go in large numbers."

He added: "It is a passion for Shias to undertake a 'ziyarat' and usually they like to do it after they have been on 'haj'. It is unfortunate that so many killings are taking place. But that has not dissuaded people from giving up."