Day of resistance

As we mark Ashura, the day Imam Hussain and his small force took on the larger army of Yazid and were martyred after a valiant fight, we are reminded of the battles against hatred and intolerance that persist today in this world. We are reminded also of the violence and persecution faced by the Shia community, even on a day that is meant for remembrance and mourning. The battle of Karbala shows us what bravery is – in the heroism and martyrdom of Imam Hussain, and in the powerful address by Bibi Zainab.

What we should learn from Karbala is that the fight against oppression, injustice, brutality, and imaginable horrors continues. Even today in our country, mobs continue to kill others on the smallest pretext, without any good reason. As Muslims, our duty must be to come together and protect those who are oppressed or vulnerable in our society, and indeed, in other societies. It is unfortunate that, instead, today all we hope for is that all goes well across the country, and we see no violence against mourners. Past attacks on Zuljanah processions are a reminder of the cruel divisions that have turned people against people.

Muharram, as the first month of the Muslim calendar, is a time to remember this and more. It is essential to create a world where injustice does not win out and where equality and honour can prevail. This means protecting all from brutality of every kind. We have to a great degree failed to do so over the past years with strife waged both within our country and in the region. It is important to remember that any act that denies others their rights is an act of oppression. As a day of remembrance, today is about the stand Imam Hussain and his followers took, proving that in the face of hatred and injustice, the only way forward is extraordinary bravery and strength of conviction. Today, we remember Imam Hussain as a revolutionary who refused to compromise on his principles. At a time when the world stands starkly divided between the oppressor and the oppressed, we remember the resistance of Karbala.