The Arbaeen walk from the perspective of political economy

The Arbaeen walk from the perspective of political economy
During the last 10 years, the Great Arbaeen Walk has been the source of various changes and developments in the economic and cultural structures of the countries of the region, which are less paid attention to its civilizational dimensions.
Arbaeen rituals have been able to significantly expand the strategic border of our country from the west to Iraq and from the east to the heart of India. Every year, the eastern border of the country hosts pilgrims who enter Iran on their way to Iraq. This coexistence of different cultures and people and strata in the same period of time and due every year can cause different cultures to combine and even root in each other and ultimately give birth and cultural progress.
This huge human community as a capital has led to many social, political, cultural and economic opportunities that have been neglected in some cases. One of the most important unique opportunities of this popular community is to look at it from the perspective of political economy. Such a view of this phenomenon is especially important from a national and functional point of view.
Political economy:
is the study of social relations, especially power relations that include mutual relations between the production, distribution and consumption sectors of resources such as communication resources. In a more general definition, political economy deals with the study of control and survival in social life. The concept of control refers to the internal organization of members of social groups and their adaptation process to changes, and the concept of survival refers to how individuals produce what is needed for reproduction and social continuity.
Tourism is one of the areas that has the ability to attract domestic and foreign capital and, following it, economic development. Meanwhile, pilgrimage and religious tourism is one of the important priorities and policies of Iranian society, which can play a very significant role in halal tourism and cultural convergence.
Studies show that the Arbaeen walk as a traditional heritage among Shiites, in addition to showing the democratic foundations of this religion, also has economic capacities. Arbaeen Hosseini pilgrimage tourism has many economic benefits, some of which are creating employment and eliminating unemployment in the region, increasing investment in the province, developing infrastructure including transportation networks, developing the market economy of border provinces, increasing tax revenues, diversifying activities Economically, creating peddling opportunities for low-income people with low capital, creating income-generating side activities such as accommodation facilities, restaurants, the supply and sale of handicrafts, and the development of companies and transportation institutions in border provinces. due to the presence of a large number of pilgrims from different countries and especially the Iraqis themselves, many items are needed and thousands of processions are formed to welcome the pilgrims. In these days, the consumption of all kinds of food, fruit, consumer items and procession equipment for cooking and catering creates a big market, which, in addition to the spiritual and pilgrimage aspect, is also a good opportunity to promote the country's domestic products from an economic point of view. Although there are problems in this way, such as the closure of some borders in this way, but it can be used to identify and introduce goods by creating markets and creating new opportunities, in addition to strengthening the connection between Iran and Iraq.

Translator :Faeghe Ebrahimpour