M Hasan
Lucknow, July 27, 2024: A sharp tussle has emerged within Shia community as Karbala battle has echoed in Palestinian fight aggressively during this Moharram. It was global phenomenon with scores of clerics and speakers drawing parallel between 7th century war between Imam Hussain, grandson of the Prophet Mohammad and corrupt monarch of Syria Yazid son of Maviya bin Abu Sufian.
However, a section of cleric have strongly opposed any parallel between “Karbala and today’s Gaza battle”. Social media is flooded with speeches of theses clerics especially prominent Maulana Ali Nasir Sayeed Abaqati alias Agha Roohi, Maulana Abbas Irshad Naqvi and several others. “Karbala has no parallel” says these clerics. No doubt this was against the stated policy of Iranian leadership who have favoured comparison in the present context.
The issue was not only confined to pulpits in several parts of India but it also became law and order problem during the Moharram processions earlier this month when large number of people were arrested, detained and questioned in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir for waving Palestinian flags and accusing genocide by Israeli Zionist government since October 7, 2023. But legal experts and political representatives have questioned the basis of the arrests as India maintains diplomatic relations with Palestine. One person was arrested in Jharkhand’s Dumka for waving the Palestinian flag during a Muharram procession. He was booked under sections 223 A (disobeying a public servant) and 292/3 (public nuisance) of the BNS. The sections are punishable by an imprisonment of six months and a fine. Pitambar Singh, Superintendent of Police (SP), Dumka said, “There is a particular place to do things, one cannot do anything at the place which can hurt others’ sentiments. There is a government order prohibiting people from provocative acts.”
In Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa, three people were questioned by the police for raising the Palestinian flag during a Muharram procession but no case was registered. In Jammu and Kashmir, around eight men were detained under sections 223, 152 (endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India), punishable by life imprisonment and Section 13 (unlawful activity) of the UAPA, punishable by seven years, for alleged pro-Palestine and pro-Hezbollah slogans, and waving flags during a Muharram procession. A case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) was lodged by the J&K Police against Shia mourners who raised pro-Palestine and anti-Israel slogans during a Muharram procession in Srinagar. The move has been condemned by several regional leaders.
It may be mentioned that Iranians, and indeed Shias anywhere, contemplate the battle of Karbala between Right and Wrong in historical terms. The battle of Karbala, fought on the bank of the Euphrates River in Iraq took place in 680 AD. Karbala is the balance in which the clerical elements in the Iranian leadership measure rights-and-wrongs. Much to the discomfiture of Israel, Iran’s consistency on the Palestinian issue derives from these uncompromising belief systems. In other words, the principle of Palestinian rights is non-negotiable.
In his November 3, 2023 speech “The martyrs on the road to Jerusalem” the secretary general of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah compared the today’s Gaza battle with Karbala in terms of justice. Indeed this interpretation of Karbala has provides discursive tools routinely employed by Hezbollah to tie contemporary political issues to the 7th century battle between right and wrong in in the plains of Karbala. A famous religious slogan propounded by Iranian scholar Dr Ali Shariati “Every day is ‘Ashura, and every land is Karbala” has been a recurring theme. In his speech, Nasrallah tied the ongoing war in “Gaza to Karbala” and the perennial state of conflict between justice and injustice. He said the conflict a battle of “right against false,” in which the Axis of Resistance, consisting of Iran, the Syrian regime, and other armed factions aligned with and supported by Teheran, are fighting the “Great Satan” (US) and the “Zionist entity” (Israel) as the “most evident, honest, and most worthy cause of God.”
This was the theme which most of the clerics and other speakers picked up during this Moharram in India and other parts of the world. But the comparison has not gone down well with other clerics/Ulema who are stridently opposed to any dilution of spiritual significance of Karbala. These clerics not toeing Iranian line on the issue asserted that they were ready to take up the Palestinian cause some other time but with Moharram. “We cannot mix Alam of Hazrat Abbas with flag of Palestine”, said Agha Roohi.
However, Isha Sadiq Haider a prominent writer, who writes extensively on Shiism says “in the poignant parallel of these narratives, we find a profound reminder of the universal human yearning for justice and dignity. As we contemplate the tragedy of Karbala and the ongoing Palestinian struggle, we must remember the timeless lessons they offer: the courage to stand alone against injustice, the resilience to endure, and the unwavering commitment to justice, even when the world remains silent”.
“We can advocate for the rights of the Palestinian people, raise our voices in solidarity, and work tirelessly for a world where the cry of “Hal Min Nasirin Yansurna?” is met with a resounding “We are here, and we stand with you!” In doing so, we honor the legacy of Imam Hussain and uphold the principles of justice and compassion as exemplified by the Prophet Muhammad” says Isha Haider. But conflicting views on the issue has sharply divided the Indian Shia community.
(M Hasan is former Chief of Bureau Hindustan Times, Lucknow)
