Folk Tales: Nabatieh’s Rituals of Sword and Blood By: Ahmed Mohsen Published Friday, December 9, 2011 Shia Muslims in south Lebanon continue to practice rituals of bloodletting during Ashura that are frowned upon by the religious establishment. In the southern town of Nabatieh, on the 10th day of the Islamic month of Muharram, known as Ashura, young men carrying swords and dressed in white march through the central square remembering Imam Hussein with their blood. The show starts at 6am. The town strains to accommodate everyone as families line the streets. The curious come to salute the men