My best souvenirs from every trip are the stories I bring with me, and today, from my last trip to Iraq - on the dates of Tasu'a and Ashura in 1401 AH - read the shortest and most mysterious love story:

In Karbala, from the Qiblah Gate of the Shrine of Sayyid al-Shuhada (AS), an Iranian man, now agitated, came out of the shrine and gave the shoemaker his number to take his shoes. The shoemaker said in Arabic, "This number is not for here." I took his hand to translate it into Persian for the man and guide him. I saw on the shoemaker's number it was written: "The Shrine of the Commander of the Faithful, Bab al-Sa'ah."