What is the Holy Day of Ashoura, and What Does it Have to Do With the December 27 Killings?

The fact that Iran’s recent riots took place on the Holy Day of Ashoura is extremely significant. This is a day on which Shi’a Muslims commemorate a centuries-old historical tragedy that continues to have political implications today.

Shortly after the 632 death of the Prophet Muhammad, a crisis of succession arose within the early community of Muslims. Some people believed that religious leadership should remain within the line of the Prophet’s descendents, specifically the line that flowed from the union of the Prophet’s daughter, Fatimah, and her husband Ali who was not only the Prophet’s son-in-law, but his cousin as well. These people became the Shi’a teh Ali, “Partisans of Ali,” or what we call the “Shi’a” today. Other early Muslims felt that the Caliphs -- the religious and political leaders of the Muslim community -- should be selected through a traditional political process. They became the Sunni branch of Islam and comprise about 85% or more of today’s Muslims .

As centuries passed, the Shi’a, especially those in Iran and Iraq, developed a system called the “Imamate.” These "Imams" were considered to have extraordinary (even esoteric/mystical) religious understanding due to the fact that they could trace their lineage to the Prophet Muhammad. (By the way, this also explains why Ayatollah Khomeini, leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution against the Pahlavi regime, held such power over the Iranians; he was considered by many to be an Imam with special religious knowledge that went beyond that of the other religious leaders.)

In the year 680, this conflict over the Prophet's succession led to a tragedy in the desert of Karbala, in present day Iraq. Hossein, son of Ali and Fatimah, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad was slaughtered, along with a small band of followers, by the army of Yazid, Caliph of Damascus. Dramatic stories abound of the bravery of this group of men, women, and children, as well as the brutality of their attackers who are said to have shot an arrow through the neck of Hossein’s infant son when he was begging for water for the children who were dying of thirst. Eventually the heads of the Shi’a “martrys,” including that of Hossein, were delivered to Yazid in his palace. Yazid was immediately condemned as an impious, vicious oppressor.

When I lived in Iran during the 1978-79 Islamic Revolution, I saw how this Battle of Karbala served as a rallying point for the movement against the “New Yazid,” as the Shah, Muhammad Reza Pahlavi was called. Passion plays called “Ta’ziyeh” were presented throughout Iran during the Week of Ashura. During performances, long narratives were recited, calling people to lay down their lives for the sake of justice, piety, courage, and sacrifice. I went to a village Ta’ziyeh, conveniently covered myself in a black chador, and observed the re-enactment of killings, pleas for mercy, and funeral rites for those who had died centuries ago, but still, in the 20th century, continued to serve as inspiration for political and religious action in the name of Divine Justice.

Ironically, those same mullahs who encouraged the use of the Holy Day of Ashura as a rallying cry against the Shah are now listening to identical calls for justice from people on the streets. Protesters are using that exact same religious observance to protest the killings, executions and oppression by the current regime.

Sadly, the 35-year-old nephew of Mir Hossein Mousavi, the opposition leader who claims to have won the June presidential election, was one of the eight people killed in the December 27th riots at Tehran's Enghelab (Revolution) Square on the recent Day of Ashura.

Seems like the events I cover in my novel manuscript are playing out again. I see new actors, but the dialogue and the setting are the same. I guess we'll have to wait to see what the final act will look like.

Click here to see a video of a song that commemorates Fatimah, daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, wife of “Imam” Ali, mother of two Shi’a Imams, Hossein and Hassan. What you’re seeing is Iranian men beating their chests in sorrow, as they follow the song that relates the losses suffered by Fatimah.