Nov 26, 2012

Muslims take part in religious festival of Ashura to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein [GRAPHIC]

Stokely Baksh 0 Comment World Imam Hussain, India, Iraq, Lebanon, Muharram, Pakistan, Prophet Mohammad, Shi’ite Muslims

During the Shi’ite Muslim holy month of Muharram, worshippers from India to Iraq, Lebanon and Pakistan participate in the religious festival of Ashura. Ashura, the tenth day in the mourning period, commemorates the death anniversary of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, who was killed during a battle in A.D. 680 in Karbala. Mourners celebrate the occasion by participating in large processions, re-enacting major battle events or self-flagellating themselves with knives to mark the anniversary.

NOTE: Photos contain visual coverage of injury and blood that may be disturbing to some readers.

: Pakistani security forces stand guard during an Ashura ceremony to mark the death of Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad in Karachi November 25, 2012. (Athar Hussain/Reuters)

: Shi’ite Muslim people take part in a religious procession during an Ashura ceremony to mark the death of Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad in Quetta November 25, 2012. (Naseer Ahmed/Reuters)

: A Pakistani Scout member carries a first aid box during an Ashura ceremony to mark the death of Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad in Karachi November 25, 2012. Shi’ite mourners beat themselves during Ashura with steel-tipped flails or slash their bodies with knives to mark the death anniversary of Imam Hussein. (Akhtar Soomro/Reuters)

: Kashmiri Shi’ite Muslim women look on during a religious procession on the tenth day of Ashura in Srinagar on November 25, 2012. (Rouf Bhat/AFP/Getty Images)

: Shi’ite Muslims flagellate themselves as they mourn during an Ashura procession in the northern hill town of Shimla on November 25, 2012. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

: A Pakistani Shi’ite Muslim raises knifes to flagellate during a religious procession in Rawalpindi on November 25, 2012. (Farooq Naeem/AFP/Getty Images)

: A Shiite boy readies himself, as he holds sharpened blades attached to chains, prior to taking part in a self-flagellation ritual during a religious procession marking Ashura on November 25, 2012 in New Delhi, India. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)

: Pakistani Shi’ite Muslims flagellate themselves during a Ashura procession in Muzaffarabad on November 25, 2012. (Sajjad Qayyum/AFP/Getty Images)

: A Pakistani Shi’ite Muslim mourner performs religious rituals during an Ashura procession in Karachi on November 25, 2012. (Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Images)

: A Shi’ite Muslim man takes part in a religious procession after flagellating himself during an Ashura ceremony to mark the death of Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad in Karachi November 25, 2012. (Athar Hussain/Reuters)

: A Shi’ite Muslim man’s body is seen bleeding as he rests after beating himself with iron chains during the Ashura religious festival in Yangon November 25, 2012. (Minzayar/Reuters)

: Paramedics treat a Pakistani Shi’ite Muslim man after he flagellated himself during an Ashura ceremony to mark the death of Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad in Rawalpindi November 25, 2012. (Faisal Mahmood/Reuters)

: Kashmiri Shi’ite Muslims perform acts of self-flagellation during a religious procession on the tenth day of Ashura in Jammu in India on November 25, 2012. During the Shiite Muslim holy month of Moharram large processions are formed and the devotees parade the streets holding banners and carrying models of the mausoleum of Hazrat Imam Hussain and his people, who fell at Karbala. (Rakesh Bakshi/AFP/Getty Images)

: Indian Shi’ite Muslims march during a religious procession on the tenth day of Ashura in Allahabad on November 25, 2012. (Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images)

: Indian Shi’ite Muslims participate in a mock fight during a religious procession on the tenth day of Ashura in Allahabad on November 25, 2012. (Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images)

: Iranian Shi’ite Muslim women with mud on their veils watch the ‘Kharrah Mali’ (Mud Rubbing) ritual to mark the Ashura religious ceremony in the city of Khorramabad, southwest of Tehran on November 25, 2012. “Khrreh Mali” or “Mud Rubbing” is a ritual that is held in the city of Khorramabad every year to commemorate the seventh century slaying of Prophet Mohammed’s grandson Imam Hussein, in which Iranian men roll over in mud and dry themselves by gathering around the bonfires before flagellating themselves. (Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty Images)

: Iranian Shi’ite Muslims beat their chests after rubbing mud on their body early in the morning, during the ‘Kharrah Mali’ (Mud Rubbing) ritual to mark the Ashura religious ceremony in the city of Khorramabad, southwest of Tehran on November 25, 2012. (Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty Images)

: An Iranian Shi’ite Muslim rolls over in a mud pond early in the morning during the ‘Kharrah Mali’ (Mud Rubbing) ritual to mark the Ashura religious ceremony in the city of Khorramabad, southwest of Tehran on November 25, 2012. (Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty Images)

: Shi’ite Muslim women rally in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut, on November 25, 2012, to mark Ashura, commemorating the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, who was killed in 680 AD by the armies of the caliph Yazid in present day Iraq. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

: Shi’ite Muslim girls rally in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut, on November 25, 2012, to mark Ashura, commemorating the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammed. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

: Lebanon’s Hezbollah supporters mourn during a ceremony to mark Ashura in Beirut’s suburbs, November 25, 2012. (Khalil Hassan/Reuters)

: Lebanon’s Hezbollah supporters mourn during a ceremony to mark Ashura in Beirut’s suburbs, November 25, 2012. In a speech marking the Shi’ite Muslim festival of Ashura, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Hezbollah’s response to any attack would dwarf the attacks from Gaza during the eight-day conflict between Israel and the Islamist Hamas rulers of the coastal strip. (Khalil Hassan/Reuters)

: A Lebanese supporter of the Shi’ite Amal movement flagellates himself as others gash their heads with swords and beat themselves during a Muharram procession to mark Ashura in Beirut November 25, 2012. (Jamal Saidi/Reuters)

: A Lebanese supporter of the Shi’ite Amal movement carries a girl with blood on her face as others watch at a Muharram procession to mark Ashura in Beirut November 25, 2012. (Jamal Saidi/Reuters)

: A Lebanese supporter of the Shi’ite Amal movement washes his head from blood after tapping it with a razor at a Muharram procession to mark Ashura in Beirut November 25, 2012. (Jamal Saidi/Reuters)

: Shi’ite Muslims raise their swords outside the shrine of Imam Abbas early on November 25, 2012 in Karbala during the celebration of Ashura. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images)

: Shi’ite Muslims gather at the shrine of Imam Hussein early on November 25, 2012 in Karbala during the celebration of Ashura. Millions of pilgrims pour into the Iraqi shrine city of Karbala for the peak of commemorations for Ashura. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images)

: Shi’ite pilgrims run between the Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas shrines as part of a ritual of the Ashura ceremony in Karbala, 50 miles southwest of Baghdad, November 25, 2012. The festival, commemorated by Shi’ite Muslims, marks the martyrdom of the Prophet Mohammad’s grandson Hussein. (Mohammed Ameen/Reuters)

: Pilgrims burn a tent during the religious festival of Ashura in Karbala, 50 miles southwest of Baghdad, November 25, 2012. (Mushtaq Muhammad/Reuters)

: Shi’ite Muslims living in Greece take part in a Muharram procession marking Ashura in Piraeus town near Athens November 25, 2012. (Yorgos Karahalis/Reuters)

: Shi’ite Muslims living in Greece take part in a Muharram procession marking Ashura in Piraeus town near Athens November 25, 2012. (Yorgos Karahalis/Reuters)

: Shi’ite Muslims living in Greece take part in a Muharram procession marking Ashura in Piraeus town near Athens November 25, 2012. (Yorgos Karahalis/Reuters)

: Local actors dressed as ancient warriors re-enact a scene from the 7th century battle of Kerbala during the Shi’ite religious festival of Ashura in Baghdad’s Sadr City November 25, 2012. (Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters)

: Local actors dressed as ancient warriors re-enact a scene from the 7th century battle of Kerbala during the Shi’ite religious festival of Ashura in Baghdad’s Sadr City November 25, 2012. (Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters)

Thousands take part in Ashura rituals in south Lebanon
Mohammed Zaatari | The Lebanon Daily Star | Distributed by MCT Information Services
10:34 a.m. EST, November 25, 2012

NABATIEH, Lebanon — Thousands marched through the streets of Nabatieh, south Lebanon, Sunday as part of Ashura Day amid tightened security measures.

Security forces, on a heightened state of alert after reports of a possible attack on mourners, prevented vehicles from entering the city, where throngs of Shiite worshipers took part in Ashoura rituals.

Five Syrians were caught Saturday in the city setting up explosives in a an apparent bomb plot aimed at the faithful there, security sources told The Daily Star.

With blood streaming down their faces, men, some women and children, listened intently as a preacher known by his first name as Ahmad recounted the story of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, who tradition holds was killed in 680 A.D. by the armies of the Caliph Yazid.

Millions of Shiite pilgrims flocked Sunday to Karbala, Iraq, where the revered imam is buried.

Prior to the march that began at 7 a.m., all eyes were turned to a stage set up in Nabatieh where performers reenacted Imam Hussein’s battle and his final hours.

The worshipers were keen to dispel any misinterpretation of the rituals, some of which include lacerations to the head.

“The media portrays us as criminals but we want to clarify that this mourning we do is for the love of the community,” said worshiper Khalil Hammoush while carrying his crying son who also had an incision to the head.

Muslims take part in religious festival of Ashura to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein [GRAPHIC]

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