Ashura: the Passion of Husayn

November 25th, 2012 by Charles Cameron

One can observe the richness and beauty of the diversity of Indian Culture at the occasion of Muharram. Since the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, Muharram ceremonies are observed all over the world including India. Hindus take part in them with great reverence and devotion. The tragedy of Karbala has become the harbinger for interfaith understanding in the Indian sub-continent. Participation of Hindus in the mourning rituals of Imam Hussain has been a feature of Hinduism for centuries in large parts of India. Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and even Christians observe Muharram. In the city of Varanasi which is the holiest city for Hindus many Hindu families participate in Muharram processions.

Describing the participation of one such Hindu family in Orissa, we read:

District police chief Lalit Das said Padhihary family has been doing this every year for the last 338 years, adding other local Hindu families also participate in the procession.

Muslims said it reflected the perfect harmony between the two communities in the area.

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Posted in Afghanistan, anthropology, ceremonial, Charles Cameron, christianity, hinduism, India, iraq, Islam, music, pakistan, philosophy, shia, sufi, suicide bombing, sunni, Theology, Uncategorized | 3 comments

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  1. Charles Cameron:

    November 26th, 2012 at 3:33 pm

    Well, Pakistan didn’t do so well… Here’s Foreign Policy’s AfPak channel report from Jennifer Rowland today, under the header Series of sectarian attacks rock Pakistan:

    Deadliest days
    .
    A suicide bomber attacked a Shi’a Muslim religious procession around midnight on Wednesday in the Pakistani military hub of Rawalpindi, killing 23 people and injuring over 60 others (AP, BBC, CNN, NYT, Guardian). The Taliban later claimed responsibility for the attack, as well as two earlier bombs detonated outside a Shi’a mosque in the port city of Karachi, which killed one person and wounded at least 15 others.
    .
    Then, early on Saturday, a roadside bomb in the northwestern Pakistani town of Dera Ismail Khan ripped through another Shi’a Muslim religious procession early on Saturday, killing at least seven – including four children – and wounding at least 30 others (NYT, AP, Reuters, BBC, Guardian, CNN). Participants of the processions were observing Ashura, an annual ten-day mourning period during which Shi’a Muslims remember the killing of Imam Hussein in the 7th century. The Taliban quickly claimed responsibility for the attack, and promised that more would come (AJE).
    .
    On Sunday, a second blast shook Khyber Pakhtunknwa Province’s Dera Ismail Khan, when a bomb hidden in a bicycle repair shop killed five people and injured over 70 others (CNN,
    BBC, AP, Reuters, LAT). Pakistani authorities have deployed thousands of additional police officers, and suspended mobile phone services during the weekend in major cities across the country in an effort to reduce the likelihood of attacks on the Ashura processions (Reuters, BBC).

  2. Charles Cameron:

    November 27th, 2012 at 4:27 am

    More on Pakistan and Karbala, this time confirming the interfaith character of the commemoration in Lahore:

    For well over 1,332 years, the tragedy of Karbala moves everyone who hears about it, be they Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Sikh or any other religion. This is one incident that brings out the need to support those with a moral position.
    .
    As children we attended the ‘sham-i-ghareeban’ with our Shia friends, and learnt the lesson of supporting those in the right. Everyone respected the beliefs of others. Yes, there were always a few silly chaps who wanted attention, but they were at best ignored.
    .
    The ancient city of Lahore is connected to the tragedy in no uncertain terms.
    .
    Historical accounts say seven brave warriors from Lahore died while fighting in the Battle of Karbala. It is said their father Rahab Dutt, an old man who traded with Arabia in those days, had promised the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) to stand by his grandson in his fight to uphold the truth.
    .
    That pledge the brave Rajput Mohiyals of the Dutt clan from Lahore upheld.
    .
    Today they are known as Hussaini Brahmins, who lived in Lahore till 1947.
    .
    Then there is the fact that besides the Hindu Rajputs of Lahore, in the battle also fought John bin Huwai, a freed Christian slave of Abu Dharr al-Ghafari, whose `alleged` descendents, one researcher claims, still live inside the Walled City of Lahore.

    That’s from a piece titled “Karbala and how Lahore was involved” in today’s Dawn, and you can read the rest here.

  3. Charles Cameron:

    November 29th, 2012 at 4:03 pm

    And more from Baghdad:

    Back-to-back explosions tore through tents housing Shiite pilgrims in southern Iraq Thursday, the deadliest in a wave of bombings that killed at least 43 people nationwide, officials said.
    .
    The attacks in Hillah began with a roadside bombing near tents set up for Shiites commemorating the 17th century death of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Hussein. That was quickly followed by a car bomb targeting emergency response teams.