Protests in Iran are heating up again. Coverage @ The Daily Dish
The Catalysts:
The Day of Ashura (عاشوراء (ʻĀshūrā’, Ashura, Ashoura, and other spellings) is on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar and marks the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram.
It is commemorated by Shia Muslims as a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad at the Battle of Karbala on 10 Muharram in the year 61 AH (October 10, 680 AD). Some Sunni Muslims also have significance for that day as Moses fasted on that day to express gratitude to God for liberating the Israelites from Egypt. According to Sunni Muslim tradition, the Prophet Muhammad fasted on this day and asked other people to fast.
In Iran, where the Shiites are in the majority, the battle of Karbala and the death of Imam Hossein have taken on political significance for at least a century. This began during the Constitutional Revolution (1905-11), when gatherings to mourn the death of Imam Hossein became political as well. The clerics began preaching that the oppressors — the king and his cronies — were similar to Imam Hossein’s enemies. The commemoration of Ashura became so political during the reign of Reza Shah that he actually outlawed it during the 1930s.
This year promises to be no different. The Green Movement has vowed to use the day of Ashura — Sunday, December 28 — to stage peaceful demonstrations and showcase its strength. Given that the color green has a special meaning in Islam, and that Imam Hossein, an underdog in the Karbala battle, is considered a symbol of resistance against oppressors and absolute power, the demonstrations, if they materialize, will be hugely significant. As fate would have, the Islamic mourning ceremonies marking the 7th day of the passing of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri will also fall on Ashura, which will likely fuel the intensity, as it will be rich in symbolism and can resonate politically throughout the country.
Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, one of Shia Islam’s most respected figures and a leading critic of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, himself said in August that the turmoil following the election “could lead to the fall of the regime”.
He said Iran’s clerical leadership was a dictatorship and issued a fatwa condemning the government after the election.
(bbc)
