GRAPHIC PHOTOS: Boys Beat Themselves with Blades to Mourn Prophet Muhammad's Grandson's Death
Graphic images which show young Muslim boys beating themselves with sharp blades as part of the holy Day of Ashura have emerged on the internet.
Every year, Muslims all over the world take part in these bloody self-flagellation ceremonies to mark the tenth day of the Islamic calendar and to mourn the death of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Imam Husayn, at the Battle of Karbala.
Sunni Muslims celebrate it the date - which they refer to as the Day of Atonement - as the day
Israelites were freed from the Pharaoh of Egypt. Some Muslims commemorate the day by carrying out brutal acts of self-flagellation, others slap their chests and chant, and some take part in 'street plays'.
Many people also choose to make a pilgrimage to the Mashhad al-Husyn in Iraq, which is thought to be the resting place of Imam Husayn.
These photographs show young boys parading down the streets of Iraq's capital Baghdad with blood dripping from their wounded heads and onto their white robes. They are flanked by their mothers dressed entirely in black.
The Day of Ashura has become a national holiday in some predominantly Muslim countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Bahrain and Pakistan.