TEHRAN — People from all walks of life held large gatherings to mourn the tragic killing of Imam Hussein (AS), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Shia Muslims typically conduct special rituals during the first 10 days of Muharram, which this year spanned from July 30 to August 8.

During these ten days, mourners gather in settings known as "Majlis Aza'a," which means "mourning gathering." The first part is held inside a mosque or Hussainiya and includes a cleric uttering the merits of the Imam, while the second part includes a panegyrist reciting poems to a chest-beating crowd of mourners.

The Day of Ashura commemorates Imam Hussein's (AS) martyrdom in the tragic Battle of Karbala on October 10, 680 (Muharram 10, 61 AH).

Despite the fact that centuries have passed since that occurrence, it continues to inspire huge numbers of Shia Muslims and even non-Muslims around the world to follow in Imam Hussein's footsteps in their struggle for independence and emancipation.

Imam Hussein (AS) was a well-known Muslim figure in Medina. He was recognized for his piety and virtues. At the same time, a succession was taking place in Damascus, the capital of the Umayyad caliphate, which resulted in Mu'awiyah appointing Yazid the new caliph, a move that shocked the Islamic world because Yazid was unqualified to command the fledgling Islamic system.

It is vital to note, however, that this is not only sorrow for an Imam's sacrifice; it is also mourning for the loss of justice, freedom, and truth, because hubris sought to eliminate all of these moral qualities by martyring Imam Hussein.

The Ashura event lasted about half a day. However, it was a pivotal moment in history. Many attempts were made to persuade people to forget the events of Ashura, but many have never done so. Instead, millions came to mourn the injustice against the Imam and acquired crucial lessons from history. For instance, it is estimated that around half a million mourners flocked to Zanjan alone to honor the third Shia Imam.

Ashura processions arouse the communal conscience and instill a sense of personal and social responsibility. It also establishes journalists' responsibility to accurately report the news, as the epic of Karbala is currently remembered as a result of the tireless efforts Hazrat Zainab (SA) - Imam Hussein's sister - to keep the tragic event alive through her powerful and defiant sermon in the Levant.

Yazid, the corrupt caliphate whom Imam Hussein refused to pledge allegiance to his unlawful authority, felt his throne was being rocked when Hazrat Zainab faced him in her famous sermon. 

“O Yazid! Do you think that we have become humble and despicable owing to the martyrdom of our people and our own captivity? Do you think that by killing the godly persons you have become great and respectable and the Almighty looks at you with special grace and kindness? You have, however, forgotten what Allah says: The disbelievers must not think that our respite is for their good. We only give them time to let them increase their sins. For them there will be a humiliating torment,” Hazrat Zainab told Yazid.

This year, Ashura coincides with National Journalists Day in Iran, as an Iranian journalist called Mahmoud Saremi was martyred by Taliban soldiers on August 8, 1998, when Taliban forces stormed the Iranian consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif and martyred nine diplomats.

The agreement serves as a reminder to all journalists that only precise and meticulous reporting can keep an event alive hundreds and thousands of years after it occurred.