(Photos) Iraqi Shiite men cut their scalps with machetes during religious ritual

Iraqi Shiite men cut their scalps with machetes during the Ashura religious ritual in Najaf. Every year, Shittes 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.More pics after the cut...