Shiites in New York commemorate Ashura in the shadow of the Gaza war

Armina Rizvi says the parallels are uncanny.

Rizvi, who has been celebrating Ashura since she was a child, says the story’s relevance to current events in Gaza, ten months after Israel declared war on the besieged Palestinian enclave, is remarkable.

“This is a tradition I take part in every year,” explains Rizvi.

“And it’s important to me because it relates to current issues in the world today, namely standing up against injustice, like (what’s happening right now) in Palestine.”

Rizvi was one of thousands of Muslims who took part in the annual Ashura procession in Manhattan on Sunday to commemorate the assassination of Imam Hussain, his companions and his family in the city of Karbala – in modern-day Iraq – in 680 AD.

For hundreds of millions of Shiite Muslims, this day is a symbol of Imam Hussain’s steadfastness in the fight against injustice and a reminder to stand up for the oppressed.

“That’s what we’re doing here: honoring the life of Imam Hussain, keeping his legend alive and always remembering him for what he stood for,” says Rizvi. “Because everything he did over a thousand years ago always translates to the present and to how we stand up for Palestine.”

At Sunday’s event, several participants were seen wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh headscarf, which is widely considered a symbol of Palestinian resistance.

The funeral procession was led by men dressed mostly in black, wearing shrouds, beating their chests and chanting the names of those killed in Karbala. They carried flags bearing the name of Imam Ali, the father of Hussain and cousins ​​of the Prophet Muhammad.

Sami Kazmi of New Jersey said the teachings of Ashura reflected the challenges every generation faces in standing up to tyrants, no matter how powerful they may be.

“We can talk about what happened to the people of Afghanistan because of the war between the Soviet Union and the West, and up to what is happening in Gaza today,” says Kazmi.

“(Imam Hussain) basically set an example that no matter how strong the army is, you have to stand up for what is right.”

The story of Ashura

Ashura occurs on the 10th day of the month of Muharram, the first and one of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar. However, Sunnis and Shiites celebrate this day differently.

While Sunnis see Ashura as a symbol of Prophet Noah leaving the Ark and Prophet Moses parting the Red Sea to help the Hebrews escape from Pharaoh, Shiites view the killing of Hussain on Ashura Day as a sign of mourning.

Sunnis also mourn the assassination of Hussain, but it is believed that the Battle of Karbala led to a stronger development of Shiite Islam.

What is Ashura? How do Shiites and Sunnis celebrate it?

Read more ”

Before the assassination of Hussain, the Shiites were considered a political group that supported Imam Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. Ali became the fourth caliph of Islam, but was assassinated in 661 AD. He was succeeded by Muawiya, one of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad.

When Ali’s son Hussain refused to accept Muawiya’s decision to bypass the Shura (consultation with the council) and appoint his son Yazid as heir to the caliphate, a conflict broke out between Hussain and Yazid.

Yazid’s troops besieged the family and even cut off their water supply, culminating in the massacre of Hussain’s family in Karbala.

The murders of Ali and Hussain shaped a character trait among Shiite Muslims that emphasized the fight against injustice and oppression.

Kazmi, from New Jersey, says that the first ten days of the month of Muharram are usually filled with gatherings to mourn and remember Imam Hussain, culminating on the tenth day, Ashura, when the actual procession takes place.

“The significance of this day is that Imam Hussain stood for what was right,” Kazmi adds.

The procession

On Sunday afternoon, thousands of Shiite Muslims could be seen marching through the streets of New York City in the scorching summer heat.

Between the insistent, rhythmic beating of the chest, groups of people could be heard chanting in Farsi, Urdu and Punjabi as the mourners faced each other and periodically uttered the name of Hussain or Karbala in remembrance.

Curious passers-by stood on the sidewalk, took videos or chatted casually with the participants of the procession.

“We stand here against injustice and oppression … of every nationality, every identity and every race.”

– Taha Ali, participant of the procession

“We are here against injustice and oppression… of every nationality, every identity and every race. It doesn’t matter who. That is our message,” Taha Ali tells MEE.

As the procession drew to a close, discussions shifted to the series of attacks that had taken place in Gaza City over the weekend.

According to the state media office, numerous Palestinians were killed or injured in Israeli attacks on a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, Khan Younis.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said at least 88 Palestinians were killed and 289 others injured in Saturday’s attack.

The war, now in its tenth month, has transformed large parts of the enclave into an uninhabitable hellscape.

More than 38,000 Palestinians were killed and nearly 90,000 others injured. Whole neighborhoods were razed to the ground. Houses, schools and hospitals were destroyed by air raids and tank fire.

According to reports, almost the entire population has fled their homes, and those remaining in northern Gaza are on the brink of famine.

“We march around everywhere and try to show our support to the Palestinians after everything they have been through,” said Rizvi, who lives in Chicago.

The procession has reportedly been held in New York City since the 1980s. Shiites from the tri-state area travel to the event. In 2017, the Pew Research Center study found that 55 percent of Muslim Americans identify as Sunni, while 16 percent identify as Shiite.