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Self-flagellation
Tonight was the fourth night of Muharram. Tonight's the night they start the really horrific intensive maatam or self-flagellation at the imambargah.
Maatam is one of the most unIslamic aspects Shi'a Islam. Shi'ite men and women slap their chests - some men even take their tops and vests off to do it.. and it ain't pretty, mate - and beat their ( Read more... ) -
The Eve of Poverty
After the Imam Husayn had been killed, the soldiers of the Yazeedi army stripped him of his valuable clothes and jewelry and then proceeded towards the Imam's camp to burn and loot the tents.
( Shaam-ay-Ghareeba ) -
To sacrifice
About 1,326 years ago on the afternoon of Sunday, October 10th, 680 CE, the Imam Husayn was killed.
( The Imam Husayn ) -
Cruelty
Tonight, the tenth night of Muharram was the night of 'Ali Asghar [Ali the younger], or just Asghar for short. Six-month-old Asghar was the youngest son and child of the Imam Husayn and unfortunately, was one of the casualties of the battle of Karbala'.
( 'Ali Asghar ) -
We're almost there.
In the first few minutes of the English lecture today, my mind was wandering as the speaker was slowly easing into his topic for today. I was thinking, "Aw, wouldn't it be the best if Cute Boy came and sat beside me? Hmmm ( Read more... ) -
The Eighth Night
Tonight's masa'eb were about the Imam Husayn's [half-]brother, 'Abbas ( Read more... ) -
The Seventh Night
Both the English and Urdu speakers bored me tonight. The English speaker is just a bundle of statistics with popping-eyes, while the Urdu speaker can speak of nothing else but the Imam 'Ali ( Read more... ) -
Two flowers
Tonight was the 6th night of Muharram.
The English lecture was just a bundle of statistics of how the Western media has brought down the morality among people in the West by "desensitizing, normalizing and glamorizing" sex. He quoted circulation/subscription figures of the Playboy magazine and funnily enough, he blamed James Bond for teaching ( Read more... )