Shah ast Hussain (as)

Ashura and a Western Thought

Unsure on Ashura
Orbus Investor
courtesy Angel Publishing LLC. Sam Hopkins

Ashura means “tenth,” the day of the Islamic month of Muharram on which one of the most important battles in history took place. Fifty years after his death, Muhammad’s followers and family were locked in strife over who had the right to continue the Prophet’s work of spreading Islam.

This year’s Ashura, always the same in the Islamic calendar, falls on Tuesday, January 30.

Muhammad’s cousin Ali had married his daughter, Fatima, establishing the line of imams (religious leaders) to whom Shi’ite Muslims are loyal. Shi’a, the community’s name, is actually an Arabic contraction of shi’at Ali, “the faction of Ali.”

In the Islamic year 61 (680 a.d./c.e.), an epic battle unfolded at Karbala, in what is now Iraq.

When the dust settled, 72 members of Muhammad’s family, Banu Hashim, were dead. Hussein ibn Ali, Muhammad’s grandson, was decapitated and his body mutilated. This was unequivocal civil war.

This may be ancient history, but it makes it that much more difficult for foreigners or, more importantly, those who would meddle without even a passing awareness of sectarian nuance, to sort out the disordered state of Iraq since 2003.

Following the ouster of Saddam Hussein, Shi’ites recommenced their annual treks to Karbala, and Sunnis seized the opportunity to inflict maximum carnage, killing scores during Ashura in 2004. This was perhaps the first major indication of the internecine horror that would rear its head in the post-Ba’athist period.

Ahead of this year’s Ashura, heavy fighting erupted on Sunday in Najaf, where Iraqi forces have been in charge of security since December 20. A Sunni insurgent group was thought to be entrenched there along the road to Karbala, aiming to attack processions of Shi’ite pilgrims on their way to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein.

Instead, it emerged on Monday that the group was actually a Shi’ite doomsday cult led by a man claiming to be the Mahdi (”guided one”), an Elijah-like personage in Islam expected to usher in a perfect world before the End of Days. He planned to do this by destroying the leadership of what is ostensibly his own community.

“Every day is Ashura and every land is Karbala”

Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the militant political organization Hizbullah in Lebanon, voiced the Shi’ite refrain, “Every day is Ashura and every land is Karbala” in reference to his own warfare with Israel.

Nasrallah also promised victory over his enemies on behalf of all Arabs and all of Islam. But would all Arabs or all Muslims accept him as defender of the faith? Certainly not.

There is also the issue of Ashura as the most prominent precedent of martyrdom in Shi’a Islam. Comprising only 15% of the ummah, as the Islamic community is known, Shi’ites have endured oppression in nearly every country where they are a minority-and even in some, like Iraq and Bahrain, where they are a majority.

Did the Shi’a forge an identity despite or because of their tribulations starting at Karbala? Would victory have diluted their faith or decentralized their leadership? Those questions may be up for reevaluation in modern times, with the ascendant power of the Shi’ite state of Iran and their factional strength in Lebanon and Iraq.

Eschatology notwithstanding, martyrdom is worldly defeat. Long-downtrodden Shi’ites are now tasting their first hint of victory, and they will crave more. The Sunni establishment is visibly rattled by this thought. A leading Saudi cleric, Abdul Rahman al-Barak, issued a fatwa (religious edict) in late December condemning Shi’ites as “more dangerous than Jews or Christians.”

Such resounding defamations within Islam indicate more turning points in history’s current course. While the neo-conservatives and Bush have been too focused on making history reflect the past, a succession of daily events reminds us that what is thought to be finished is seldom, if ever, forgotten.

Regards,

Sam Hopkins

Shias in Iraq mark Ashura festival amid tight security
courtesy CBC News

June 7th, 2007
Categories: ashura, moharam

Posted by photographerno1 on 08 Jun 2007
Filed Under: ashura, shiasm | No Comments »

Ashura differs from one Indian city to another , but a silken thread that binds each city is Imam Hussain, every city has its cultural ethnicity woven into the Azadari of Hussain, but the cry of Ya Hussain remains the same.
The tears that drop like raindrops from Shia eyes are universally the same, a drop of a tear a drop of blood shed for Imam Hussin is the same, this is what seamlessly binds the Shia in India, the Shia in Pakistan, the Shia in Iraq, or the Shia in Iran or Azaibaijan, inclusing the migrant Shias in America , Canada Australia Europe or Gulf or even in Japan.
This is the motivation of Moharam called Maksade Hussain.
I am unfortunate I discovered congregational Shia Islam much late in life about 6 years back, I try to shoot some different city , but if I am short of finance I stay back shoot Moharam in Mumbai.People love to celebrate Moharam in their own home towns, that is why in Mumbai, all the Shias from various cities they hail from, leave for their hometowns.
This is called catching up with the folks where they grew up.
I have no such binding, I belong to no anjuman, fiercely independant a creature of wavering moods I am lead by my nose and my bare feet to strange places where I know not a single soul, but somehow miraculously I meet people there become friends a new bond is formed..this is the healing aspect of Islam, it brings your closer to your roots of bondship.

Mumbai Ashura in the morning is a very Iranian tradtional passion play.The entire events stage managed Shimr, drums, Yazidi forces, all congregating at Imambada Amin.Fellow Shias avoid this event as the human playing the role of Imam Hussain is something very hard to digest, I know what the traditional Sikhs felt when Baba Rahim of Sacha Sauda dressed himself up as Sant Guru Gobind Singh.
This is blashphemy.But for the Iranians of Mumbai it is life as usual.
The other aspect that got on my liberal goat is guys dressed with horrendous mask , like Hijabs portraying the Bibis of the House of Hussain, taking little kids to bless them in the Cradle of Ali Asghar the Imams 6 month child who was shot by the arrow of Harmulla, ..one of these pictures was used derogatorily in Times of India, in an article on Hand Free Matam by journalist Mohamed Wajihuddin.
Any way I try to be less critical or vocal, I have shot the event here , after the Juloos ends in the quadrangle, cramped for space, women men children.
The drums beat and the scourgings start, I honestly think, the scourgings and the forehead cutting and the sword Matam display is so fiercely bloody , people watching go into a faint..you cannot shoot this from close, its that bad, backs open up, pieces of human mutton chunks splattering the wallls, danger of being hit all around.
I shot all this on negs have no time or the funds to get it scanned, I shot slides and black and whites too, the first yeat I shot 40 rolls, sitting on a gate of Imambada Amin , yes I unlearnt photography , by trial error shooting Moharam.
Atfer the bloody matam gets over the crowds mover over to Fotowat or to Moghul Masjid to break the fast or Faqqa with Iranian Khichda.. that was kept on a simmering fire all night.
Later in the evening after 5 pm,from Yaqqub Gully close to Chor Bazar, the Hindustani Shias take out their Juloos, that crawls, with Anjumams from all over Mumbai, Bangalore, Hallor, Jaunpur, moving to end at Shia cemetery or Rehmatabad, on the roads more blood chilling scenes, sabils offering water, taburakkat, women kids, near the Dongri circle the Shiv Senas , other Hindus chip in to offer tea cold drinks, here standing atop a car eminent Shia scholar Hamid Jaffery gives a discourse on the contribution of Imam Hussains sacrifice to Humanity, people listen attentively,, after this at Rehmatabad it is the much awaited Majlis Shame e Gariba, after the Majlis , Rehmatabad is a pond of blood, there is a childrens juloos, alams , Zuljana, yes this is in a nutshell Ashura in Mumbai..I think I could say it more cogently with my pictures…

The pictures are of Lucknow Ashura, as this is my continuing subject at the moment.. but you can see Ashura in Mumbai at my homesite ,
June 7th, 2007
Categories: ghame hussain, azadari e hussain, shia faith, moharam in mumbai, zuljana, moghul masjid, shiaism, ya hussain .

Posted by photographerno1 on 08 Jun 2007
Filed Under: ashura, azadari, shiasm | No Comments »

Ashura is 10 th of Moharam , the Shias celebrate the Martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain, there is a seeeping heaviness in the air, a scorching dryness, a surrendering moment of grief.
Seas of black humanity, cacading with families carrying the Tazias, children leading from the front trudging, reciting the matam moving towards Karbala Talkatora.
Today after 9 days the water has run dry, the sabils are ghostly , no children serving water, just a languishing lassitude of a momotonous memory.
Moharam in Lucknow is ultimate , two months eight days you live breathe Moharam.
Yes you relive Moharam.Every house has a majlis, going on, the bylanes of Pata Nala, drag your feet towards Chup Tazia house, Maulana Ashfaque, talking about Moharam in sepia toned eras of Mir Anis, in times of Mir Dabir, or Mir Taki Mir.
Patronised fiercely by the Shia charcater of the Nawabs of Avadh.
Today it is the heritage of Karbala , kep alibe by theNawabs in the various Rozas at Bada Imambada , Chota Imam bada, Kazmain.
The Nawabs lit a candle that is incandescent for all time.
Azadri cannot will not die.
The Nawabs of Avadh gave up their kingdoms to keep Azadrari alive.
Shia Gulabis, Shia Wahabbis, post modern Nakkanis or any vested interest anti Shia, cannot uproot the cry of Ya Hussain .
Man dies , generations die over the corpses of the dead rises anothr generation, beating his chest, cutting his forehead scourging, keeping the apsidistra of shiasm on the window sill alive… for all to see …Kulu Yomin Ashura .
Everyday is Ashura.

June 7th, 2007
Categories: shia faith, azadari e hussain, ashura, imam hussain, lucknow .

Posted by photographerno1 on 08 Jun 2007
Filed Under: ashura, azadari, hazrat imam hussain | No Comments »