Shocking Ashura self-flagellation video from Manchester spreads widely on X

A video posted on social media on Tuesday sparked a major stir online after being shared hundreds of thousands of times on X. It shows Shiite Muslims marking the month of Ashura with the tatbeer ritual, a form of self-flagellation performed by men and women as part of their religious observance.

The footage shows several dozen black-clad worshippers, with Islamic music playing in the background. Despite the assumptions it generated online, the scene was not filmed in Iran or Iraq.

According to the report, the video was actually taken in Manchester, in the United Kingdom. Manchester is currently led by Labour mayor Andy Burnham, who is expected to soon head the government.

The clip also reached Elon Musk, who reposted it on X without adding any text.