Fun with Islam (The feast of Ashoura Warning: gruesome, bloody images)

Closed Cafeteria ^ | January 29, 2007 | Gerald Augustinus

[NYer]

The feast of Ashoura Warning: gruesome, bloody images.

There are some Catholics who self-inflict all kinds of things in staged crucifixions and such, but I don't think it's quite like this.

The observance of Ashoura is one of the most important events in the Shia calender. Ashoura marks the anniversary of the martyrdom of Husayn, grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, in what is now Kerbala, Iraq. The death of Husayn was the beginning of the Sunni/Shia split, which persists in Islam to this day.

In the past, many Shia men have demonstrated their devotion to Husayn by letting their blood flow freely from self-inflicted wounds. Today, however, many governments have tried to ban this practice, with varying degrees of success. In Lebanon, the practice is permitted, and a bloody commemoration of Ashoura takes place in Nabatieh every year.

Most participants make a small cut on their head, and then beat the wound with their palm--or in this case a sword--to keep the wound open and bleeding.

Participants then march in groups around the town, yelling chants to express their devotion to Husayn and the Prophet. [...]

Calls for the death of Israel and the USA aren't unheard of either there of course.

[SaintDismas]

I am more convinced every day that this religion is a mental disease

[Wings-n-Wind]

A Religion of Peace....
So they say of themselves....

[353FMG]

Muslim fun and games.

[AliVeritas]

And we get slammed for a cilice. Go figure.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

One can almost imagine the smell from this. Like a slaughter house.

[ValenB4]

"A Religion of Peace...."

There's a piece. And another piece on the ground. And yet another that didn't come off a chained whip. Lots of pieces everywhere.