Believers prepare for religious activities as Muharram begins

LAHORE: Believers across the country prepare for the start of new Islamic year, the 1441 Al Hijra calendar, with traditional religious solemnity and fervor but amidst strict security arrangements to avert threats of terrorism, after the moon of the holy month of Muharram was sighted on Saturday evening.

A number of religious organisations will observe the 1st of Muharram as the martyrdom anniversary of the second Khalifah, Hazrat Umar (RA), holding seminars and meetings to highlight his personality and achievements. The Shia community was busy at hectic preparations for observing the 10-day mourning with traditional religious zeal and solemnity, in connection with the Karbala tragedy and the martyrdom of the companions and family of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), the grandson of Holy Prophet (SAW) in 61 AH, some 14 centuries ago.

Hazrat Umar (RA), regarded as the most influential Muslim personality after the Holy Prophet (SAW), was martyred by a Zoroastrian slave, Abu Lu'lu Feroze, who stabbed several times in his belly while he was leading the Fajr prayers at the Masjid Nabwi. Different religious organizations have planned to hold meetings and seminars across the city to commemorate the glorious achievements of Hazrat Umar (RA) and the piety and strength of his personality.

Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat ASWJ Lahore president Maulana Hafiz Hussain Ahmad has praised KP and Sindh governments for declaring the first Moharram as official holiday as the martyrdom day of Hazrat Umar Khattab (RA) and demanded Punjab and Balcohistan to follow suit in line with the aspirations of the people.

Addressing a meeting, he said if the country could have public holidays for political leaders and international events, why not should we have holidays for the pious Khalifahs. They said the solution to all the problems facing the country and Muslim Ummah lay in enforcing the Khilafat-e-Rasheda again. He said Hazrat Umar (RA) had set glorious examples for the Muslim governors and administrators while managing the public affairs and the Holy Prophet (SAW) said about him that “if there was another prophet after me, it should be Hazrat Umar bin Khattab (RA).”

Addressing a meeting held by Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC), various speakers said the entire non-Muslim world was following the traditions set by Hazrat Umar (RA) to reach heights of prosperity while the Muslim world itself had disowned the very system which Harzrat Umar (RA) and other Khulafa-e-Rashedin practiced.

Shia ulema and Zakerin have a busy schedule for the next ten days with a number of Majalis-e-Aza and mourning processions across the country to commemorate the grand sacrifice at Karbala. The mourning activities will begin on Monday with a traditional procession from Imambargah Mohallah Shi'an inside Mochi Gate. The procession will be participated in mostly by children who march to various other imambargahs inside the Walled City before culminating from where they had started.

General security in the country has been beefed up with tough protective measures for the mourning processions and majalis in view of the growing terrorism incidents across the country over the last decade. The government is set to adopt historic security measures like a ban on pillion riding and even on mobile phones services etc., following the examples set by the previous government to ensure security for processions, especially on the 9th and 10th of Moharram.

To respect the solemnity attached with the event, people belonging to other schools of thought will voluntarily take different measures including playing loud music, removing boards from cinemas and postponing marriage ceremonies etc. Newspapers will publish special editions while electronic media would air nohas, marsias, majalis and narratives of the Karbala tragedy to highlight the solemnity of the event.

The Lahore city district administration has taken extra security measures this year to maintain peace during Muharram and provide security to Majalis-e-Aza and Matam (mourning) processions scheduled to be taken out in different parts of the city. To counter security threats, specially in view of the targeting of mourning procession in the city during the previous years, special security arrangements have been made to maintain strict security at and around the mourning activities during Muharram. A special control room has been set up to monitor the situation and respond to any threat timely. Besides, considerably increasing police patrolling and deployment at sensitive areas, paramilitary and Army units have also been put on standby. Special squads of police and intelligence agencies have been formed to prevent any eventuality especially in the sensitive areas declared by the government.

Bomb disposal squad, sniffer dogs and intelligence agencies personnel have been deployed in the squads to enhance their performance while reserve police forces have been called to deploy on the rooftops along the routes of Muharram processions and other sensitive areas.