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The killing of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed’s grandson in the 7th Century was commemorated Oct. 24 at Masjid-e-Ali Mosque on Cedar Grove Lane.
Husain Ibn Ai and about 70 of his followers were killed in Karbala, in present-day Iraq, after refusing to pledge allegiance to Yazid I, head of the caliphate at the time. Husain objected to what he considered injustices perpetrated by Yazid, and thought that the Caliph’s lifestyle was not in accord with their prophet’s teachings.
The day is one of the most sacred in the Shia Muslim calendar, and occurs on Maharram 10 in the Islamic calendar, known as the Day of Ashura.
The killing of Husain is seen as the defining event which led to the split of Islam into two sects, Shia and Sunni.
The mosque’s commemoration was highlighted by two lectures, one given in English by Dr. Sayed Ammar Nakshawani of the Hartford Seminary in Connecticut and a second by Syed Absar Ali Naqvi, who spoke in Urdu.
Nakshawani, considered one of the leading Islamic scholars in the world, said after the program that one does not have to be Muslimto appreciate the impact that Husain had on the world.
“There is an attributed quote from Mahatma Gandhi and others who said they were inspired by Husain’s struggle against injustice over 1,000 years ago,” he said.”Husain is not someone who should only be known by Muslims, nor is the Prophet Mohammed one who should only be known by Muslims, every human being in the world should learn from their lives, irrespective of whether they have different theological conclusions about them.”
“You don’t have to be a Hindu to appreciate Gandhi, you don’t have to be a Christian to appreciate Martin Luther King, but you can certainly take from their principles,” he said. “I think, along those lines, Husain should certainly stand beside if not above those personalities for his stand over 1,000 years ago.”
The mosque is planning another commemoration of Husain’s death on Nov. 14, with several speakers.
