Imam Hussein is the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (PBU’em), born in 620 A.D.
to a family famed for their values of love, honor and peace. His martyrdom
anniversary which is, beyond a doubt, considered a defining event in the
ideological and resistance movements of Shiite Muslims against corruption and
oppression at all times, in all things, and in all places.
During The Battle of Karbala, Yazid; the corrupt, tyrant and illegitimate ruler
killed Imam Hussein, the 7th-century revolutionary leader, who has recorded a
phenomenal valiant stand for social and political justice. Definitely, the
resistance’s current victories over the imperialist arrogance illustrate one of
Ashura’s core issues: the triumphs of the oppressed over the oppressors.
After more than 1400 years, Imam Hussein still has the capability to awaken the
oppressed people to heroically resist and to never approve any hegemonic power.
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah says, "And that what happened
during the Islamic revolution of Iran and the Islamic resistance [Hezbollah], as
well as fighting all Takfiri groups. Ashura’s logic, spirit and determination
are still active and present.”
To commemorate Ashura means to acquire knowledge on how to confront despotism
and autocracy and how to disable the fundamental goals of the Zionists and the
Imperialists. It indoctrinates us that only Resistance manages to prevent those
foes from achieving their colonialist goals.
Thomas Carlyle, a Scottish historian and essayist say, "The best lesson which we
get from the tragedy of Cerebella is that Husain and his companions were rigid
believers in God. They illustrated that the numerical superiority does not count
when it comes to the truth and the falsehood. The victory of Husain, despite his
minority, marvels me!”
While most of the Western media’s focus is on the very bloody ritual of
self-flagellation; known as Tatbir, the main aim of Ashura is to refuse
humiliation and to fight for every universal righteous causes. Indeed, Tatbir is
a wrongful, unlawful and also a fabricated irrational and superstitious
tradition. "Become an ornament for us, do not be a disgrace for us,” Imam al-Sadiq;
the fifth Shiite’s Imam States.
Besides, the highest ranking and most widely respected Shiite scholars stress
that any ritual which ridicule the religion is impermissible and that this
suspicious ritual has not been mentioned anywhere in the religious teachings.
Islam survived, spread and expanded because of sacrifices of this great Imam;
buried today in in Iraq’s holy city of Karbala, where some 22 million of Shiite
Muslims gather to pay homage to Imam Hussein, in the world’s biggest annual
pilgrimage.
During the ten days of Ashura, Shiite Muslims partake in large congregations
where they recite elegies, lament and beat their chest as a cultural tradition.
They do not only display their grievance but they distribute food and organise
charitable and blood-donation campaigns.
Not long after the death of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the Muslims had slid into
political turmoil and corruption as the Umayyad dynasty usurped power and slowly
began destroying the moral fabric of society.
Just like his father and brother, Imam Hussein was a leader widely known for his
compassion, wisdom and integrity. He rejected to pay Yazid an oath of allegiance
in order to gain credibility for his illegal rule.
Out of his moral obligation and principles of social and political justice, Imam
Hussein refused to pledge allegiance and legalise Yazid’s corruption and
repression, despite it being a risk to his life. He chose to make a phenomenal
stand, and launched his mighty uprising, alongside with his family and 72
sincere companions.
Knowing that what was ahead of them was a certain martyrdom; yet they all
remained steadfast, loyal to their principles and fought valiantly against the
army of Yazid.
Charles Dickens; an English novelist, maintains, "If Husain had fought to quench
his worldly desires…then I do not understand why his sister, wife, and children
accompanied him. It stands to reason, therefore, that he sacrificed purely for
Islam.”
Out of fear, that Imam Hussein would gain momentum, Yazid dispatched an army of
30,000 to halt him and his companions in their track from Medina. Yazid had
ordered his army to block, deny access to water, attack and kill them in the
desert land of Karbala (in Iraq), on the 10th day of Muharram, the first month
of the Islamic calendar; known as The Day of Ashura.
Certainly, Imam Hussein headed to Iraq not to seek power but to reform and
reorganise the Islamic Muhammadan state and its universal humanitarian ethics.
He fought bravely against the enemy and was attacked from all sides with swords,
spears and arrows.
Eventually, a man by the name of Shimr ruthlessly beheaded him on the burning
plains of Karbala, fatigued, thirsty and heavily wounded but victorious through
his legacy and distinct goals.
The Battle of Karbala, absolutely, has triggered a series of uprisings against
tyrannical regimes and imperialist forces through history. Furthermore, the
Ashuraian resistances have obviously proven that each hegemonic power would have
an eventual demise.
Today, pilgrims, from all across the world, pay tribute to Imam Hussein’s
courageous stand and regard him as a symbol of resistance who stood for
humanitarian values of sacrifice, freedom and dignity.
In the aftermath of The Battle of Karbala, Yazid’s army held the Imam’s women
and children captive and marched them from Iraq to Syria. His sister was the one
who safeguarded the uprising’s principles to reflect the essential role Islam
set for women in any revolutionary movement.
Sayedah Zainab defied Yazid in his own courtyard in her famous sermons, which
unnerved even his closest allies, and imposed his heinous massacre and
violations.
Undeniably, Hezbollah – the Lebanese resistance – and various other
revolutionary movements have been greatly inspired by the outstanding figure of
Imam Hussein (PBUH). Along with the axis of resistance, it defeated the
U.S.-backed regional powers, who invaded and imposed an unconditional global war
on Syria.
Hezbollah’s armed strength has grown in the wider region to contend the hostile
U.S. administration. It has become a draining movement to vanquish and provoke
the imperialist hostility, not only standing up to the Zionist conspiracies but
has also morphed into a powerful regional force.
In fact, escalating Hezbollah resistance’s involvement in Syria has elevated the
movement into an indispensable partner in a high-stakes confrontation, whose
principal exponents are the extremist radical Saudis.
Source:TehranTimes