Ashura Commemorated Across the World
April 28, 1999 - 0:0
TEHRAN Ashura is the greatest lesson for the whole humanity. The Prophet's grandson, Imam Hussein (AS), on the day of Ashura gave an immortal message for the world's freedom-lovers to stand steadfastly before tyranny and oppression whatever the odds. Imam Hussein's uprising, although ended in his martyrdom, was the greatest victory for the truth and righteousness. The idea of his battle with the enemies of Islam was to fulfill a divine obligation on his shoulder which proved to be an extremely important element in the ideological structure of Islam. Imam's struggle for that end had offered a model to the Muslims of the world over and throughout the history.
Imam Hussein (AS), despite his kowledge of the troublesome consequences of rising against Yazid's army, did not hesitate to defy the well-equipped army of corrupt ruler of his time. The Imam, having witnessed the widespread corruption in the ruler's court, and as a result of that in the Islamic society, felt duty-bound to launch his reforms in order to revive genuine Islamic values.
It was equal for Imam Hussein (AS) either to achieve martyrdom while fighting Yazid's army or to defeat the corrupt ruler, in the latter case he would have established a genuine Islamic system. Imam's martyrdom delineated the right path for the coming generations to follow the true Islamic path. The religious and ideological message of his battle, his conduct and his talks with his associates and with his enemies in the run-up to that historical battle has since been the subject of continuing scholarship for religious interpretation by scholars of all denominations.
The mourning ceremonies for Imam Hussein (AS) have aroused sympathies even in the coldest heart, and many a non-Muslim reformer has modeled his struggle on the life of the `martyr of Karbala'. Ashura has revived Islam and it should continue to revive the genuine teachings of Islam for humanity. After him, it was up to the people treading on the path of truth to advance the cause of righteousness so that there would not be any confusion, in any epoch, as to what ways to choose to live a life imbued with freedom and divine values.
Meantime, Tehran and other cities and towns in Iran were all draped in black, as a mark of respect for martyrs of Karbala whose blood triumphed over the swords of the evil forces. People have been wearing black since the first day of Moharram. Streets, government and private buildings and mosques as well as make-shift tents erected for the ceremony, where free meals known as `Nazri' were distributed, were draped in black banners.
Mosques and hosseiniehs organized special programs of religious sermons and also chest-beating and reciting poems in commemoration of the Karbala tregedy. The ceremonies were attended by large groups of various walks of people in Iran and other countries. Meanwhile, men, women and children have been streaming for the last several days in various parts of the world in villages and cities to commemorate the memory of Hussein (AS), the grandson of Islam's Prophet Mohammed (S), and the 72 relatives and other followers martyred with him in 680 A.D. who are buried at Karbala. Hussein, whom Shiites see as Mohammed's rightful heir, was martyred as he led an uprising against those who rejected the leadership of Mohammed's direct descendants.
Some mourners come long distances to Karbala, denying themselves water and walking barefoot in punishment for Shiites' failure to save Hussein. In Iraq and elsewhere, others beat bared chests with their hands and chains. In Lebanon, the commemoration carried a sharp political message. ``Death to America; death to Israel'' chanted men clad in black and beating their chests as they marched through the southern suburbs of Beirut, a stronghold of the city's Shiite community.
Lebanese police put the demonstration at more than 100,000 people, but the organizers, the Hezbollah Party, said the crowd numbered 300,000. Women wearing black head-to-toe veils and young girls joined the march, which was led by Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah. People watching from balconies poured rose water on the crowd. In Iraq, state television broadcast Monday's commemorations, with clerics discussing the significance of Hussein's death.
Meantime, special mourning ceremonies to commemorate the anniversary of Tasu`a and Ashura, ninth and tenth of the lunar Hijra month of Muharram-ul Haram 61 (680 A.D.), of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) and 72 members of his family and followers was held here Sunday night in the presence of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. Chiefs of the three branches of government and Chairman of the Expediency Council were also participated at the mourning ceremony.
Meantime, thousands of followers of the Ahl-ul Bayt (AS) took to the streets in New York Sunday evening to stage a Tasu'a mourning procession on Park Street. The New Yorkers living in high rises leaned from windows in curiosity to observe the event and the police was out in force to barricade the streets for over six hours bringing the traffic to a grinding halt.
Muslims residents from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Bangladesh, Albania and Iran as well as U.S. citizens took part in the mourning procession and recited elegies of the valiant befallen Martyr Imam Hussein (AS). The processionists were clad in black and wore red headbands imprinted `Ya Abi Abdallah' and `Ya Hussein'. The procession took place on `Hussein day' as it is known to the people of the U.S. at the forefront of the procession were the Muslim scholars and intellectuals each of whom wore a special band to represent his country.
The Iranians carried banners with the names of Ahl-ul Bayt (AS), the Infallible Members of the Household of the Holy Prophet (SAWA), the Pakistanis carried the model of the shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) in Karbala in present day Iraq while the Afghanis carried a model of the coffin to depict a simulated funeral procession. The Indians carried the standards of Imam Hussein (AS) symbolic of the Karbala standards.
The processionists freely distributed water, sherbet and food to the by-standers watching the procession. Some New Yorkers filmed the event from high rises. Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Morteza Tehrani, the Friday prayer leader of the Imam Ali (AS) Islamic Foundation told IRNA the number of people participating in the event was far greater than that of last year which speaks of their love for Ahl-ul Bayt (AS), besides showing the growth of their dedication and devotion towards the Islamic rituals.
Imam Hussein (AS), despite his kowledge of the troublesome consequences of rising against Yazid's army, did not hesitate to defy the well-equipped army of corrupt ruler of his time. The Imam, having witnessed the widespread corruption in the ruler's court, and as a result of that in the Islamic society, felt duty-bound to launch his reforms in order to revive genuine Islamic values.
It was equal for Imam Hussein (AS) either to achieve martyrdom while fighting Yazid's army or to defeat the corrupt ruler, in the latter case he would have established a genuine Islamic system. Imam's martyrdom delineated the right path for the coming generations to follow the true Islamic path. The religious and ideological message of his battle, his conduct and his talks with his associates and with his enemies in the run-up to that historical battle has since been the subject of continuing scholarship for religious interpretation by scholars of all denominations.
The mourning ceremonies for Imam Hussein (AS) have aroused sympathies even in the coldest heart, and many a non-Muslim reformer has modeled his struggle on the life of the `martyr of Karbala'. Ashura has revived Islam and it should continue to revive the genuine teachings of Islam for humanity. After him, it was up to the people treading on the path of truth to advance the cause of righteousness so that there would not be any confusion, in any epoch, as to what ways to choose to live a life imbued with freedom and divine values.
Meantime, Tehran and other cities and towns in Iran were all draped in black, as a mark of respect for martyrs of Karbala whose blood triumphed over the swords of the evil forces. People have been wearing black since the first day of Moharram. Streets, government and private buildings and mosques as well as make-shift tents erected for the ceremony, where free meals known as `Nazri' were distributed, were draped in black banners.
Mosques and hosseiniehs organized special programs of religious sermons and also chest-beating and reciting poems in commemoration of the Karbala tregedy. The ceremonies were attended by large groups of various walks of people in Iran and other countries. Meanwhile, men, women and children have been streaming for the last several days in various parts of the world in villages and cities to commemorate the memory of Hussein (AS), the grandson of Islam's Prophet Mohammed (S), and the 72 relatives and other followers martyred with him in 680 A.D. who are buried at Karbala. Hussein, whom Shiites see as Mohammed's rightful heir, was martyred as he led an uprising against those who rejected the leadership of Mohammed's direct descendants.
Some mourners come long distances to Karbala, denying themselves water and walking barefoot in punishment for Shiites' failure to save Hussein. In Iraq and elsewhere, others beat bared chests with their hands and chains. In Lebanon, the commemoration carried a sharp political message. ``Death to America; death to Israel'' chanted men clad in black and beating their chests as they marched through the southern suburbs of Beirut, a stronghold of the city's Shiite community.
Lebanese police put the demonstration at more than 100,000 people, but the organizers, the Hezbollah Party, said the crowd numbered 300,000. Women wearing black head-to-toe veils and young girls joined the march, which was led by Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah. People watching from balconies poured rose water on the crowd. In Iraq, state television broadcast Monday's commemorations, with clerics discussing the significance of Hussein's death.
Meantime, special mourning ceremonies to commemorate the anniversary of Tasu`a and Ashura, ninth and tenth of the lunar Hijra month of Muharram-ul Haram 61 (680 A.D.), of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) and 72 members of his family and followers was held here Sunday night in the presence of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. Chiefs of the three branches of government and Chairman of the Expediency Council were also participated at the mourning ceremony.
Meantime, thousands of followers of the Ahl-ul Bayt (AS) took to the streets in New York Sunday evening to stage a Tasu'a mourning procession on Park Street. The New Yorkers living in high rises leaned from windows in curiosity to observe the event and the police was out in force to barricade the streets for over six hours bringing the traffic to a grinding halt.
Muslims residents from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Bangladesh, Albania and Iran as well as U.S. citizens took part in the mourning procession and recited elegies of the valiant befallen Martyr Imam Hussein (AS). The processionists were clad in black and wore red headbands imprinted `Ya Abi Abdallah' and `Ya Hussein'. The procession took place on `Hussein day' as it is known to the people of the U.S. at the forefront of the procession were the Muslim scholars and intellectuals each of whom wore a special band to represent his country.
The Iranians carried banners with the names of Ahl-ul Bayt (AS), the Infallible Members of the Household of the Holy Prophet (SAWA), the Pakistanis carried the model of the shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) in Karbala in present day Iraq while the Afghanis carried a model of the coffin to depict a simulated funeral procession. The Indians carried the standards of Imam Hussein (AS) symbolic of the Karbala standards.
The processionists freely distributed water, sherbet and food to the by-standers watching the procession. Some New Yorkers filmed the event from high rises. Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Morteza Tehrani, the Friday prayer leader of the Imam Ali (AS) Islamic Foundation told IRNA the number of people participating in the event was far greater than that of last year which speaks of their love for Ahl-ul Bayt (AS), besides showing the growth of their dedication and devotion towards the Islamic rituals.