Interior Minister denied banning Ashura tents on public roads

BEIRUT — The media office of Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar issued a statement Friday saying that "social media platforms are circulating claims that the minister issued a decision banning the establishment of Ashura tents on public roads," affirming that "this news is completely false and entirely untrue."

Hajjar has requested the General Directorate of Internal Security Forces to carry out the necessary investigations "to identify those responsible for fabricating and spreading this false information, in preparation for taking appropriate legal action against them."

Ashura tents are temporary structures set up during the religious month of Muharram to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Mohammed. Central to Shiite mourning rituals, they host religious gatherings and distribute free food and drinks as acts of charity and are often set on public roads.