Day of the brave

The first ten days of Muharram are meant to be a period when Muslims, especially Shias, around the world mourn the sacrifices of Hazrat Imam Hussain and his small force that took on the larger army of Yazid. The mourning culminates on Ashura, the day Imam Hussain and most of his family were martyred after a valiant fight. In Pakistan, unfortunately over the years, the mourning has been accompanied by violence against the Shia community. As we mark Ashura today, we are all compelled as Muslims, regardless of sect or intricacies of belief, to remember the sheer heroism of Hazrat Imam Hussain and those who fought alongside him -- including his sister Bibi Zainab. The occasion is a reminder of the fight against oppression, injustice, brutality, deviance and an example in courage and valour which has rarely if ever been equalled. It is also a day to hope and pray that all goes well across the country, and we see no violence against our Shia brothers and sisters, family and friends.

The events of Karbala stand relevant today too. We need men and women of strength and determination to stand up against the horrors we see in our own society, where the powerful dominate those unable to defend themselves and terrible acts of violence occur on a regular basis. When despair draws close, we must consider the stand Imam Hussain and his people took, proving that extraordinary circumstances demand extraordinary measures. The stories told so poignantly at the majalis held across the country help people express pain that they must otherwise bear in a society which is indifferent and from which empathy has virtually vanished. The attacks on Zuljana processions in the past are a reminder of the cruel divisions and hatreds that have turned people against people.

Amidst all the rituals of Muharram, each loaded with significance, there is a greater message that should have a global resonance. Imam Hussain was one of the first true historical revolutionaries, someone who stood against the shifting tide represented by Yazid, and refused to submit to his authority. He refused to compromise his principles and conscience. Imam Hussain did not intend on going to war; he just wanted a return away from bloodshed and expansionist war. This is why we see so many people from so many nations and even faiths revering Imam Hussain. He did not seek power for the sake of power itself but so he could bring about positive change in as peaceful a manner as possible against forces that were well-practised in the art of war. This is the example all of us, no matter what our sect, should be taking to heed at a time when the world stands starkly divided between those who use power to oppress and those that are the oppressed.