Condolences on the advent of the mourning month of Moharram, the month that witnessed history's most heart-rending tragedy over a thousand, three hundred, and sixty-eight years. Moharram has come again to refresh the immortal saga of the epic of Ashura that drew the eternal line between truth and falsehood, between right and wrong, between humanitarian values and bestial savagery, between Islamic solidarity and seditious discord, and between faith and disbelief. It is the time of the year that moistens the eyes of anyone with even a grain of conscience. It evokes a feeling of grief and inspiration that has set in motion many a reformatory and revolutionary movement in history, not necessarily limited to Islam and Muslims. This year Moharram coincides with the bloodbath unleashed on Palestinian Muslims by the Zionists and their super-terrorist Godfather, the US.  No wonder, the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (may his soul rest in peace), who salvaged Iran from the satanic jaws of the US and set it on the road to progress as an aspiring model for all peoples and nations determined to be masters of their destiny, used to say: "Whatever we have achieved is because of Moharram and (the following month) Safar; so safeguard the legacy of Moharram and Safar."
The life-inspiring mourning ceremonies of Moharram that are held wherever the followers of the Prophet's blessed Ahl al-Bayt or Household are found around the globe, commemorate the heroic stand of Imam Husain (PBUH) against injustice and corruption. He preferred to drink the elixir of martyrdom rather than give oath of allegiance to a tyrant who had no authority whatsoever to rule Muslims. M.K. Gandhi, lawyer and leader of the non-violent uprising in India for independence from British rule, in one of his famous statements remarked that it was Karbala and Imam Husain (PBUH) that inspired his struggle against colonialism. He added: "I learned from (Imam) Husain (PBUH) how to be wronged and be a winner." In a statement published in Young India in 1924, he said: "I wanted to know the best of life of one who holds today an undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind…I became more than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the schemes of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of (Imam) Husain (PBUH), the scrupulous regard for pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission to save Islam." In the year 61 AH, when the caliphate that had been set on a destructive course at Saqifa Bani Sa'dah by those who turned their backs on the divine commandment of Ghadeer, fell to the lot of the Godless debauchee Yazid, the son and grandson of the archenemies of Islam – Mu'awiyah and Abu Sufyan who became reluctant Muslims as late as 8 AH at the fall of Mecca – the Prophet's grandson decided to launch his immortal uprising to save Islam. Reflect on his words, which continue to ring resonantly in the ears of all freedom-loving persons refusing to put their necks under the yoke of hegemonic powers: "If you do not have religion (i.e. belief in religion), at least be free persons in your worldly affairs." It means be true to your own self rather than resorting to deceit, lies, betrayal, slander, oppression, usurpation of  other's rights, massacre, and all other devilish designs that go against the innate nature of mankind. This is the message of Imam Husain (PBUH) to all conscientious people of all generations. It is the message of the triumph of blood over swords. It is the message of the victory of the highest humanitarian values against sophisticated hypocrisy. It is the message of the success of virtue versus vice. It is the message of fraternity for nullifying the fratricidal plots of terrorists of all hue and colour. It is the message of severed heads heralding the defeat of hordes without a cause that paraded in chains the children and womenfolk of the Prophet's Household on the presumption they had won the encounter in Karbala. Till this day Islam remains indebted to the heroic stand of Imam Husain (PBUH), as is borne out by the growing fervour and dedication shown each year, especially by the youth, during the months of Muharram and Safar, which instill in us such ethical values as doing good, abstaining from evil, and molding our life on the dynamic commandments of God. The discourses held in this month each year revive and strengthen the fundamental Islamic principles of Monotheism, Divine Justice, Prophethood, Imamate or Divinely decreed leadership, and Resurrection Day. This is the message of Moharram to all conscientious people of all generations. This is the message that the oppressed Palestinians, who are being mercilessly bombarded by the Zionists right now, ought to become properly cognizant of, since for true Muslims Moharram is not start of the pre-Islamic new year, as unfortunately many Arabs celebrate, but it is start of the renewal of the believers to the genuine legacy of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny), as was demonstrated by the Martyrs of Karbala. We pray to God to inspire the Palestinians with this immortal message, as has been practically demonstrated by the Iranian, Lebanese and Iraqi Muslims, in order to defeat the armed-to-the-teeth oppressors.  |
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