Beat, torture, bleed to wash away sins

 These shocking images are scenes of Shiite Muslims torturing themselves with knives, as well as  A sharp object tied to the end of a child chain and beaten on the body caused bloodshed in Peshawar  (Peshawar) Pakistan.

The Muslims' procession and self-torture took place on August 29 during Ashura, the ninth day of Muharram.  The first month of the Islamic calendar.

Ashura is a major ritual for Shiite Muslims to commemorate the sacrifice of the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad ay Husayn Ibn Ali al-Hussein, who died in the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD.

According to the belief that self-torture in this great ritual is a cleansing of sins committed in the past,