Twenty-one years ago, Imam Husham Al-Husainy led a group of worshippers from his Dearborn mosque in a procession to a park about two miles away to mark Arbaeen, a holiday that recalls the death of a leader in the 7th century.

Since 2004, the annual walk has grown in size with many more participants and dozens of tents and stalls set up providing free drinks and food for the march that's the largest outdoor religious gathering of Shia Muslims in the U.S. On Saturday, Aug. 16, the 22nd annual Arbaeen procession was led once again by Al-Husainy, a cleric who leads the Karbalaa Islamic Education Center, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Similar Arbaeen events are held by Shias around the world.

"Today, the whole world needs the meaning of the movement of Imam Hussein," Al-Husa

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