6 Karbala investment projects Oked

KARBALA / IraqiNews.com: Authorization has been given for six investment projects in the holy province of Karbala in the housing, health, industry, and entertainment sectors, according to the province’s mayor. “Today, Karbala ‘s investment authority gave the go-ahead for six investment projects in the province at a cost of $600 million (1 U.S. dollar= 1,118 Iraqi dinars),” Aqeel Khazaali told IraqiNews.com. The projects include the construction of a plastic fiber plant on Ain al-Tamr road (75 km west of Karbala ), in addition to a dates farm and factory at a cost of $36.5 million in the desert area of western Karbala . Karbala , with an estimated population of 572,300 people in 2003, is the capital of the province and is considered to be one of Shiite Muslims’ holiest cities. The city, 110 km south of Baghdad , is one of Iraq ‘s wealthiest, profiting both from religious visitors and agricultural produce, especially dates. It is made up of two districts, “Old Karbala ,” the religious centre, and “New Karbala ,” the residential district containing Islamic schools and government buildings. At the centre of the old city is Masjid al-Hussein, the tomb of Hussein Ibn Ali, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad by his daughter Fatima al-Zahraa and Ali Ibn Abi Taleb. Imam Hussein’s tomb is a place of pilgrimage for many Shiite Muslims, especially on the anniversary of the battle, the Day of Ashuraa. Many elderly pilgrims travel there to await death, as they believe the tomb to be one of the gates to paradise. On April 14, 2007, a car bomb exploded about 600 ft (200 m) from the shrine, killing 47 and wounding over 150. SS (S) 1