Ahlul Bayt World Assembly issued a statement on the advent of Muharram 1440 A.H., the Martyrdom Anniversary of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him).
AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Ahlul Bayt World Assembly issued a statement on the advent of Muharram 1440 A.H., the Martyrdom Anniversary of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him).
The full text of the Assembly’s statement is as follows:
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
The Holy Prophet of Islam, peace be upon him and his infallible household, said:
“Verily, Husain is the Torch of Guidance and Ark of Salvation”
The sad days of Muharram and Safar provide the opportunity for Muslims and philanthropists all over the world to learn epic lessons of courage, trust in God, and self-sacrifice for His sake.
The philosophy behind the mourning ceremonies, too, is to deepen our knowledge on the objectives of Imam Hussein (pbuh).
Today, we have to follow the path of the martyrs of Karbala. There is an urgent need for the solidarity of the oppressed to solve the economic problems of Islamic communities. We must try to frustrate the ominous plots of our enemies in spreadingaccusations and gossipsfor raising disputes and pessimism between Muslim authorities and ordinary people. To neutralize the conspiracies of enemies, we have to safeguard the sanctuary of the Ahlulbayt and adhere to them, particularly Imam Hussein as the Ark of Salvation. We must also respect the Islamic seminaries, Muslim clerics, and Grand Ayatollahs to be able to thwart the satanic schemes of arrogant powers against us.
Through his speeches, Imam Hussein, peace be upon him, publicly announced that the most obligatory task to save Islam and humanity from the hegemony of satanic forces is to fight the tyrannical rulers of time. All Muslims must learn a lesson from this concept; that is, not to fear the enemies, to trust in God, and to have confidence in their potentialities. We must know that the seeming grandeur and power of arrogant powers and our enemies is too unstable. Their power compared to the unity, solidarity, and synergy of Muslims around the world is too weak. If Muslim nations do not withdraw from their positions against the threats of arrogant oppressors, the tyrants will be forced to retreat.
The Ahlulbayt World Assembly extends its condolences to all Muslims on the occasion of mourning days of Muharram and Safar, and draws the kind of attention of all brothers and sisters, particularly its representatives, members, and missionaries, in all countries to following points:
• Ceremonies for Imam Hussein and Ashura are among the most outstanding privileges of Islamic society compared to other societies; it is therefore advisable to hold such ceremonies in the most glorious possible form. These gatherings teach all men and women how to sacrifice our souls for protecting the religion of God and the holy Quran.
That’s why the enemies of Quran and Islam are angry with these ceremonies and try to destroy them.
• During the majalis and functions of Muharram and Safar we must take the advantage of preaching to promote the authentic and documented teachings and lessons of Imam Ali and Imam Hussein (peace be upon them), which are the same genuine and pure teachings of Islam and the Holy Quran.
• According to the viewpoints of major Shia authorities and Ayatollahs, insulting the great Sunni personalities is a conspiracy promoted by British Shia and American Sunni. We must be vigilant to avoid superstitious actions and combat heresies and insults that create divisions among Muslims; because such deviations are far from the culture of Ashura and degrade the dignity of Islam and Muslims.
• The other important matter is “the security of ceremonies” to protect the souls of the mourners for Imam Hussein. Bloody events of past years during Muharram in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Nigeria show that some states in the region are not able or do not want to provide security for the followers of the Ahlulbayt and their ceremonies. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the managers of mosques, Husseiniyahs, and other gathering places to guarantee the highest degree of security for the events and the participants.
• Today, the Islamic World is sad because of the bloodshed and massacre among innocent people of Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bahrain, Palestine, Myanmar and specially the catastrophe in Yemen led by the criminals of Saudi Arabian government. Thus, all preachers, eulogists, reciters of mourning poems, etc. to highlight these crimes and disclose the behind-the-scenes terrorist actions in Muslim World in order to reveal the true nature of Takfirist groups for the people and prevent the enemies of Islam from fanning the fire of sectarian conflicts.
• We must also elaborate the inhumane actions of Israeli regime against the defenseless people of Palestine and the conspiracy of moving embassies to Jerusalem as well as the initiative of the Zionist regime's parliament (Knesset) in approving the "Jewish Nation-State Law". Furthermore, we must raise awareness regarding the U.S. hegemonic strategy on Islamic regions to weaken Muslims, secure its illegitimate interests, and support dictator states and terrorist groups.
In the end, we strongly condemn the brutal and unmanly actions of the enemies of Islam and humanity. We further extend congratulations to the family members of the martyrs of Islamic Resistance Front; and pray for the healing of all injured ones as well as for the elevated status of the martyrs.
The Ahlulbayt World Assembly
1 Muharram 1440 A.H.
11 September 2018