Tag Archives: tradition

Ashura, time for the community

A traditional activity during the Muharram Ashura commemorations is that various communities in Bahrain do different things, all of which are helping each other, especially taking care of the less fortunate by giving alms and/or food. The food is cooked by various entities and distributed for free to everyone who wants it. The "Ajam Bahrainis" …

Ancestral Vices

Stopping evolutionary change is like trying to stop a tsunami with a few bags of sand. It just doesn’t work. I think the rulers of the Middle East recognise that fact, but they think that hiding their heads deep enough in the sand will delay their populace’s recognition of the fact. The majority actually do …

Haidar

Ashoora procession/haidar, originally uploaded by jamalaly. Images of commemoration of Imam Hussain‘s martyrdom in Karbalah on the 10th of Muharram in 680 CE. The “haidar” is a barbaric and completely unwarranted and unneeded custom which does more damage to Shiism than anything else. The Shi’as pride themselves as “progressive” in that they have “Ijtihad” which …