All events of human history have special bearings on the referenced  place, time and people. Some episodes, however, transcend all such limits. Ideals pursued and sacrifices rendered in their pursuits put such events at high pedestal as emblem for generations to come. One such event in human history is the Tragedy of Karbala.

Apparently the event relate to an area in Iraq, an Arab country, clan of Hashim and Muslims in particular, yet the special features of this event make it a universal event transcending petty limits of time, space andaction.

The scale of event is so gigantic that whole history of human achievements fails to produce its matching competitor in self-sacrifice, commitment to cause and respect to high ideals of human dignity and honour. Imam Hussain faced the utmost brutality with matching resilience.

Cruelties perpetrated on house of Muhammad (PBUH) have no parallel in human history. By withstanding all the persecutions with grace and serenity the Imam set a standard for humanity as to who should be respected and emulated and who should be despised, hated and condemned.

Human nature feels concerned for the oppressed and have hatred for the oppressor. By bearing oppression in such and elegant manners Imam Hussain established himself as the leader of all the oppressed people of the world.

He established the principle that oppression whoever may be committing is to be condemned and opposed by all means. By dint of his super human sacrifice Hussain has become the natural leader of all the oppressed and persecuted people on earth. Here the considerations of religion, time, space, colour and ethnicity do not hold.

He is always dear to all the oppressed classes of the world. He is always a just and thoughtful example to emulate. The way Imam Hussain faced the coercion of Yazid, may God curse him, and his acolytes demonstrated that the Imam had a strong belief in the superiority of truth over falsehood.

The Imam upheld the torch of Human values that were liked, respected and accepted in the fore corners of the world. In the plains of Karbala , the Imam, in fact on behalf of truth lovers of the whole world, fought the battle for human integrity, veracity and honesty.

Wherever, truth and virtue is respected people will emulate his example to fight off despotism, terrorism and falsehood. Imam Hussain fought for the values that are universal in their appeal and are natural to human beings. In Karbala Hussain’s truthfulness, honesty and fidelity were pitted against deception, duplicity and falsehood of Yazid as symbol of all the evils of that time.

Religions of the world work towards improving the morals of man and there also are certain standards of morality that are universal in their application and recognition. In Karbala , the Imam not only fought for the supremacy of pristine principles of the religion of his grandfather, Muhammad (PBUH), he also fought for universal human values.

Yazid promoted a new religious, political and social values that went contrary to what Muhammad (PBUH) had taught which also contravened generally accepted human standards. This the great humanist would not tolerate. He stood against Yazid and sacrificed everything he had in the way of God to preserve the basic human standards, so that man could  claim superiority over animals by remaining a good human being.

The Imam had to act. The Islamic edifice was being shaken to the ground. The very bases of its philosophy were being eroded. The integrity of our forefathers and the just and truthful companions of holy prophet was being questioned.

The situation was taking a drastic turn. Any delay would cost Human race very dearly. It would be rubbed of a true and chosen religion. It would be condemned to eternal banishment. Whereas, the Imam was nurturedand groomed for such an eventuality, he rose to the occasion and true to his salt, acted timely and saved humanity from falling into the deep chasm of neglect, indifference and pity.

This, however, wasn’t a fight between two sects of Islam or between two religions. It was an epic battle between good and evil. As all religions of the world, in principle, stand for truth, uprightness, honesty and morality, the Imam has his protagonists all over the world in every religion. Anyone who is fighting against the evil has great example in Hussain to emulate.

Truth and falsehood can never go together; the battle between good and evil is eternal and is still going on. Hussain, therefore, is still relevant to the ever changing times.

But for the time being, the evil unfortunately seems to be succeeding.
Keeping in view his services to humanity the day of Hussain’s  martyrdom, the 10th of Muharram should have been an interna-tional mourning day. Hussain is being branded as only the leader of one sect of Muslims which is a great travesty of justice. A poet has rightly said: “Let human race awake, then every nation will claim that Hussain is theirleader.” The martyrdom of Imam Hussain, commemorated dominantly by Shia community is an exception to the rule, otherwise, all the events in human history involving sacrifices made for humanity are being remembered by the entire human race without exception. One such example is the sacrifice rendered by the labourers on 1st May 1886 in Chicago .

They were just demanding increase in wages and reduction in long working hours, when they were showered with bullets. There wasn’t any apparent justification for such action in which dozens of people were killed and wounded. The demonstra-tors carried the blood stained shirts of the victims as flags and began their long drawn battle for deliverance. Since 1890, 1st May is commemorated all across the globe as an international day of laborers that signifies the beginning of their struggle for human rights.

The sacrifice offered by Hussain for a greater human cause is not inferior in any respect. Instead, Hussain, here too was a forerunner and taught the labourers of Chicago through his own great example how to oppose the blood thirsty cronies of oppression. They finally succeeded following the footprints of Hussain and his companions on the sands of Karbala .

Once the world comes to realize the true dimensions of Imam Hussain’s sacrifices, it will commemorate the 10th of Muharram as an international day of triumph of truth and Humanity over falsehood and despotism.