صراط عشق صراط عشق
Tens of millions of Muslims — from Iran to Afghanistan and Pakistan — marked Ashura on Monday, one of the most emotional occasions in their religious calendar, commemorating the 7th century martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad (Peace upon Him)’s grandson Imam Hussein (AS).
Security forces, particularly in Taliban-run Afghanistan, were on high alert for any violence. In the past, bloody attacks have marred the ceremonies across in the Middle East, as takfiri terrorists seize on the holy day to target large gatherings of mourners.
Muslims were to mark the holy day on Tuesday in Iraq and also in Lebanon, where a major procession that typically shuts down Beirut’s biggest suburb.
Crowds of mourners thronged the streets in Kabul, where the country’s Shia Muslims have suffered a wave of terrorist attacks by the local Daesh affiliate, which has tried to undermine the new Taliban government. Repeated bombings have rattled Afghanistan’s ethnic minority Hazara Shias, who previously experienced persecution under the Taliban and fear their new rulers — who seized power a year ago, as U.S. and NATO troops withdrew — will let violence continue against their community.
Over 1,340 years after Imam Hussein’s martyrdom, Baghdad, Tehran, Islamabad and other major capitals in the Middle East were adorned with symbols of piety and repentance: red flags for Imam Hussein’s blood, symbolic black funeral tents and black dress for mourning, processions of men and boys expressing fervor in the ritual of chest beating and chanting elegies.
In Afghanistan and Pakistan, authorities cut mobile phone services in key cities holding commemorations for fear of terrorist bombings. Pakistani police were out in force along procession routes. The Taliban shut down roads leading to Shia neighborhoods and mosques in Afghanistan.
The Taliban have encouraged Shias to carry out their devotions. However, they did not designate Ashura a national holiday this year, as Afghanistan’s authorities have in the past. They also banned major processions for fear of violence after a string of bombings targeting Shia-dominated areas.
Despite the threat of attacks, hundreds of mourners turned up on the streets of Kabul to mark the occasion.
“Those who want to stop us from commemoration of this day will take their wish to grave with themselves,” said Habibullah Bashardost, adding that the community had braced itself for more terrorism.
“Even if these people who are commemorating today are martyred, we have our coming generation to continue this path,” Bashardost said.
Another participant, Ahmadullah Hussaini, said his presence at the ritual under the shadow of targeted
attacks delivered a succinct message: “We are not scared of anything, not even death.”
In Iran, millions of men and women shrouded in black thronged the streets of Tehran. Green plumage, the color of Islam, fluttered in the air. Camels covered with multicolored cloth paraded through the city, evoking how Imam Hussein (AS) set out from Mecca with a small band of companions. Mourners beat their chests in mourning and chanted in unison, while some mourners clad in black wept.
“Somehow, I feel like I must go to mourning, because Imam Hussein was brutally and unfairly treated,” said Nasrin Bahami, a 65-year-old participant in the Tehran procession. “I love his pride, his bravery. He is a symbol, a role model.”
In Yemen, hundreds of thousands of mourners pledged harsh response to any act of aggression by the Saudi coalition against the country as they marked Ashura.
They also promised to stand by freedom-loving and revolutionary nations, and stressed that they will fight off oppressors and aggressors, particularly the United States, the occupying regime of Israel and their agents, until they emerge victorious.
The largest Ashura gathering was set to take place Tuesday in the Iraqi city of Karbala, where Imam Hussein is entombed in a gold-domed shrine. Thousands typically rush toward the shrine to symbolize their desire to answer Imam Hussein’s last cries for help in battle.
