Tasoua is a mourning ritual in commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam Hossein—the third Shia Imam who was slain at the Battle of Karbala in 680 A.D.

The event pictured below, held in Northwest Los Angeles, is performed in a makeshift mosque—a repurposed restaurant carpeted with Persian rugs and decorated with religious-themed banners.

Part of the event involves the practice of flagellation, or zanjeer zani, to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hossein. Accompanied by the the beat of drums and cymbals, participants strike their backs and shoulders with chains.

  Participants listen to laments in commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam Hossein before commencing the flagellation ritual.

Female attendees of the event sit in their own section that is initially separated from men's with a curtain. While women don't participate in the flagellation part of the ritual, the curtains are removed so they can observe the performance carried out by the young men. Some beat their chests as a symbolic act of mourning.