CELEBRATIONS OF ASHURA IN BRAZIL
The first 10th day of Muharram occurred between the days 04 and 14th of November, 2013, in Beazil.
Ashura mourning ceremonies observed in some Ahlul Bayt followers' mosques in Brazil.
Below will be a short summary of the celebrations that took place in each place:
Curitiba (Paraná State):
The Mosque of Imam Ali Ibn Abutallib, in Curitiba, the capital of Paraná State, gathered about 100 Muslims in all the days of celebration. The celebrations were led by Sheik Mohammad Sadeq Ibrahimi, from Iraq.
Women and children also participated in the mourning ceremony. Speeches were made in Arabic and then translated into Portuguese for Brazilians, and holy Qur'an recited too. Among Shiite communities in Brazil, Curitiba is the second lowest in the country, but they have a mosque, a Sheik and all the celebrations befitting the Shiite Islam.
Foz do Iguaçu (City in the Paraná State)
The largest Shia community in Brazil, located in the border city of Foz do Iguaçu, held Muharram at the Imam Khomeini Mosque everyday.
The Imam of the mosque speech and recited mournings and elegies in Portuguese and most of the times in Arabic because the vast majority of audiences were Lebanese Shiites. About 3 Sheik's attended the celebrations in Foz, beyond the local Sheik Mohammad Khallil.
Ponta Porã (Mato Grosso do Sul State)
A smaller Shiite community of Brazil, located in Mato Grosso do Sul, on the border with Paraguay, received Sheik Hassan Bourgi, of Lebanese origin, who chaired all the days of Ashura. All speeches were made in Arabic because the whole local community were Lebanese. Approximately 50-80 people attended the celebrations in the small town mosque, men and women.
São Paulo (Brás Neighborhood, São Paulo State)
The country's main Shiite mosque, Mosque Muhammad Messenger of Allah, in the state capital, received a great celebration of Ashura, separated into two parts, one downstairs, to the Lebanese, chaired by Sheik Sayyid Billal, and another upstairs to the Persians led by Sheik Gorbanian.
In both there were all part of Ashura as speeches, recitation of the Qur'an, and Latimiya and Maatan. Thousands of Lebanese thronged the mosque for every day celebrations.
São Paulo (Ipiranga Neighborhood, São Paulo State)
The celebrations organized in Husseinya Ahlul-Bayt, chaired by Sheik Taleb Hussein, gathered mainly Iraqi community members living in Brazil, as the Sheik himself is also Iraqi.
About 100 people attended the mourning ceremonies. Some days were promoted food distribution through the streets of São Paulo by the entity.
São Paulo (Luz Neighborhood, São Paulo State)
The great and historical novelty this year was a group of Brazilians who met for the first time in the history of Shiite Islam in Brazil to celebrate Ashura entirely in Portuguese language.
Speeches were made by Sheik Hossein Khallilo of Iranian origin, all in Portuguese, which highlighted points of the life of Hussein (as) and the basic principles of Islam. Soon after latimiyas (beating the breasts) were held in Arabic, Persian, and in recent days in an exclusive Portuguese, but in all of them the Sheikh explained in what the Portuguese concerning latimiya said.
Approximately 25-30 people attended this celebration in the state capital. After the celebration the group organized a distribution of water in the center of São Paulo to look back at the sacrifice of Hussein (as) who had died of thirst.
source : abna24
