What a smashing religion!

Some reporters are like flies: they only land on garbage. This is garbage by all means!

Why don't you go to Europe and the Philippines and watch fellow Christians beat and slash themselves for Jesus, Peace and Blessings be upon Him??

Prophet Muhammad, Peace and Blessings be upon Him, saw Jews celebrate this day. He asked them:"What are you celebrating?" They said:"We are celebrating the day God saved our prophet Moses, Peace and Blessings be upon Him, from the flood He punished the bad Jews." Prophet Muhammad, Peace and Blessings be upon Him, then said:"Moses is my brother, and I shall celebrate this occasion, too. Oh, Muslims, fasting the tenth day of the month of Muharram will wipe off the sins committed last year."

That is the authentic Islam. Not beating kids.... slashing their poor heads....

Between the Christian Branch Davidians who had sex with their own kids and lit them up on fire and these Muslim terrorist nuts I thank myself for being an atheist.

I am a Sunni Muslim and on behalf of all other non-Shiite Muslims I'd like to disassociate ourselves from this exclusively Shiite custom. Like most of the viewers on this photoblog I am of the personal opinion that this practice is both extreme and insane. Islam is meant to be a religion that eases the burden of its followers and to respect/take care of the bodies God has blessed us with. We believe that self mutilation is a sin, and the Prophet Muhammad (my peace be upon him) has never done anything like this in his life. He preached kindness, respect, justice, and peace. The actions of these Shiite Muslims is NOT the correct representation of what Islam is meant to be.

The statement "Muslims all over the world mourn the slaying of Imam Hussein..." is a bit of an exageration considering that 90% of the world's Muslims are not Shi-ites and do not observe this ritual. In fact most Muslims would consider the ritual un-Islamic.

hey! i'm all muslimed out

what happened to the "old boys club"

what happened to the "hats"

no more "rugs" for me

Has this blog ever looked at Countries other than Afghanistan, Pakistan and Lebanon to see how Aashura is commemorated?

CELEBRATE is the wrong word to use. There is nothing to celebrate when the Grandson of the Holy Prophet (Hussein-ibn-Ali) along with every male member of his family including his parched 6 month old son was torn to pieces on this day (10th of Muharram). In many people eyes they lost the battle, but in reality, he won the war and saved Islam. They fought bravely for all that is good and honest in this world. 72 against 1000s.

His son Ali Zaynul Abideen(a.s), the only remaining male member who was too ill to fight, was never seen smiling again throughout his life. No food and water was placed before him, that he did not breakdown in tears, probably remembering the three day hunger and thirst of his father, brothers, cousins, uncles, friends and companions as they rode out into the battle field. ( the enemies had cut off their water supply ) They are no accounts in history though, of any of the members of the Prophets Holy household spilling their own blood. Their grief i suppose was way beyond that.

I will not judge those who draw blood while grieving for their loved ones and neither should others, because only GOD knows what their intentions are.

The media, as always, has blown this out of proportion and zeroed in on the RED because it makes such awesome news.

"If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." - Malcolm X

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I remember more than half a century ago when as a teenager I participated in Ashura processions in Tehran and in the process we hit ourselves in the back with chains in the memory of Imam Hussein and more than 70 members of his family and his associates who lost their lives because they did not want to submit to an oppressive government that had high jacked the world of Islam.

Unfortunately it was the physical suffering we were absurdly emulating and not the spiritual lesson that should be at the foundation of Ashura. We should be celebrating the Ashura for the true message was, is, and shall be being willing to sacrifice our physical existence for the sake of freedom and justice and if it helps to raise humanity to a higher state of consciousness beneficial to one and all.

Needlessly harming our bodies which is the temple of God is truly a sin and those who can prevent it and do not do so are truly at fault: Shiite religious professionals and Ayatollahs most of all.

By the way, the Iranian Revolution of 1979 which I originally supported wholeheartedly ultimately resulted in my realizing that the Shiite sect I was born into is a cult of personality for its faulty foundation: infallibility of Prophet Muhammad, his daughter Fatima, and the 12 Imams of the Shiite sects for no one is infallible and also in believing that blood relationship should be the basis for who should have led the world of Islam after Muhammad’s death.

If Mister Hussein son of Mister Ali, may God be pleased with them, saw what the zaynabiyah is calling for, he would have severely punished you for going astray from their path of following the sealing messenger, Mohammad peace and blessings be upon him'

Why is it that ex-Shiites who revert to Sunni creed express their shock to the sinful acts of hurting themselves when they used to torture themselves??? Why do we not see them defend it???? Because it stinks.... And hurts to be astray.... And be kept blinded from truth????

I know at least 9 Iraqis who never left Iraq and now that they are in the US and meeting Sunnis from across the world, say there is no way they are going back to Shiism!!!! Why????

By the way, Zaynabiyyah is a Shiite prostitute who slept with tens of so-called Shia imams..... These Zaynabiyyas are told the more shiaa imams they have sexual intercourse, the closer they get to paradise.... Kinda similar to what goes on inside churches full of nuns with a few priests.... Graveyards drugged in churches backyards to find hundreds of infants and fetuses... Why? Because this trash is against human nature....

In 680 AD a battle was fought between good and evil. Imam Hussein (AS) grandson of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) of Islam who stood for righteousness and justice was starved, killed and mutilated with most of his immediate family members including his 1 year old son by Yezid ibn Muawiya a wicked Ummayad caliph.

The tragedy of Karbala as this came to be known led to numerous revolts throughout the centuries against the cruel established dynasties in the middle east. As a result the governments would suppress the discussion of the massacre of Muhammad’s (SAWS) family to such an extent that the followers and supports of Hussein (AS) would be hunted and executed.

In order to make sure that the event of Karbala was not forgotten there would be flash demonstrations where people in groups sometimes would self flagellate themselves in order to grief and get attention and explain to the people who would converge around them the reason for their grief and their anger towards the unjust, cruel and decadent government.

This tradition of self-flagellation has carried on throughout the centuries and while some people have forgotten the political meaning they certainly have not forgotten the love for Hussein (AS). Also, I should point out that many shia’s now choose to donate to the blood bank than to spill blood by lashing themselves.

Its a wonder how society made it this far.