Thousands of Hezbollah supporters mark Ashoura in Beirut’s southern suburbs

(26 Jun 2026) RESTRICTION SUMMARY ASSOCIATED PRESS Beirut, Lebanon – 26 June 2026 1. Various of Hezbollah supporters gathering at Hassan Nasrallah's shrine near Beirut airport road in Beirut's southern suburbs to mark Ashoura and mourn Imam Hussein, the third Shiite imam and grandson of the Prophet Muhammad 2. Various of mourners sitting inside a building damaged in an Israeli airstrike 3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Lara Shehadeh, Shiite Muslim and Hezbollah supporter: "Ashoura is about sacrifice. It is the triumph of blood over the sword, the victory of the oppressed, and the victory of the word of truth. Ashoura is not only for Shiites; it belongs to the whole world. Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) taught us to stand in support of every oppressed person. As we have seen in this war, we in Lebanon have suffered greatly from the Israeli aggression." 4. Various of Hezbollah supporters marching in organized procession and chanting religious slogans 5. Various of female supporters marching in the procession 6. Female supporters hold posters of former Hezbollah leaders, late Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, his son Mojtaba Khamenei, and Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem. Crowd chants, UPSOUND (Arabic): "Death to America, Death to Israel." 7. Wide of supporters marching past a damaged building in Beirut's southern suburbs 8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Foad Kteish, Shiite Muslim and Hezbollah supporter (holding photo of late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah): "Thank God, despite the destruction, despite the displacement, and despite everything, the people are still standing firm. The resistance fighters are still steadfast, by God's grace. In the end, Ashoura is the school." 9. Various of the procession with supporters carrying Hezbollah and Iranian flags STORYLINE: Thousands of Shiite mourners gathered Friday in Beirut's southern suburbs, at a shrine to Hezbollah's former longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in 2024. Supporters celebrated Ashoura, marching in an organized procession, waving Hezbollah and Iranian flags and chanting religious slogans. Some women carried portraits of Nasrallah, former Hezbollah leaders, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem, Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his son and current Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. "Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) taught us to stand in support of every oppressed person. As we have seen in this war, we in Lebanon have suffered greatly from the Israeli aggression," said Shiite Muslim and Hezbollah supporter Lara Shehadeh. Foad Kteish, another participant in the Ashoura commemoration, said the occasion teaches people to remain steadfast and resilient. "Thank God, despite the destruction, despite the displacement, and despite everything, the people are still standing firm." To Shiites, who make up the second-largest branch of Islam after the Sunni majority, Hussein's killing holds deep religious and historical significance and plays a central role in shaping their identity. Ashoura, observed on the 10th day of the lunar month of Muharram, marks the culmination of a 10-day mourning period commemorating the killing of Hussein, the grandson of Islam's Prophet Muhammad. Hussein was killed alongside members of his family and companions after refusing to pledge allegiance to the Umayyad Caliph Yazid. Hussein's death cemented the schism between Sunni and Shiite Islam and remains a powerful symbol of resistance against oppression and injustice. AP video shot by Ali Sharafeddine =========================================================== Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...