Imam Hussain, grandson of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) from his beloved daughter Fatima, wife of Imam Ali, Muhammad’s cousin and his successor, was murdered in the barren plain of Karbala in Iraq, about fourteen hundred years ago, but his death, even today, is commemorated as if he was murdered yesterday.

Shias Have Greater Freedom to Practice Religion

Since the removal of Saddam, Shiites in Iraq have greater freedom to practice their religion, however, extremist Sunni and Wahabi outfits like Al-Qaeda, having intrinsic hate for Shias, attack them so that Zaireen, pilgrims to the Holy Mausoleums of Imams, are discouraged to come to Karbala and Najaf.

After the removal of Saddam Hussain, Shias were able to form the government in Iraq with the laps of fourteen hundred years. Sunni extremists don’t want to allow this to continue. Extreme Wahabis in Saudi Arabia and surrounding Arab states support them with petro dollars and al-Qaeda and other terrorist outfits in the midst of Muslims in other countries provide terrorists and suicide bombers to destabilize the country.

Iraq has become a battleground for the forces of ‘Truth and Justice’ and the legions of ‘Falsehood and Cruelty.’ Humanity cannot afford to lose the battle. Even Iran, despite having reservations regarding the US presence in Iraq, is fully supportive of all measures that can bring peace and stability to the country respecting its sovereignty and integrity.

Extremists Want to Defeat Iraqi Government

The battle goes on. According to media reports and also reported in Yahoo news two car bombs struck Shiite pilgrims Monday Jan 24, 2011 ‘killing at least 18 people as crowds massed for religious rituals marking the end of a 40-day mourning period for the Islamic sect's most beloved saint. The blasts in Karbala were the latest in nearly a week of attacks that have killed at least 159 people.’

Martyrdom of Imam Hussain has turned into a phenomenon in Islam and is continued to be interpreted and commented upon incessantly. Every commentator, interpreter, scholar and philosopher of Islam and other religions who has studied the events of Karbala, respects Imam’s sincerity of purpose, dedication to cause, devotion to his sublime ideals and his submission to the will of God.

Each year millions of people from all over the world converge on Karbala first, on 10th of Muharram and then, on 20th of Safar, second Month in the Islamic Calendar, to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain and his 72 companions who laid their lives in the cause of Islam to defeat the purpose of Satan incarnated in the person of Yazid, son of Muawia and grandson of abu Suffyan, an unrivalled enemy of Islam and Muhammad (PBUH) before he accepted Islam on the occasion of battle for Makkah a couple of years before Muhammad’s death.