Telling the Story of Ashura in America by Justin Mashouf

The event of Ashura is arguably the most singularly impactful story in Shia identity. This tragic event in which the grandson of the Prophet is slain while thirsty in the battle field, surrounded by the corpses and of his own family members and close friends, has been and continues to be central in a diverse collection of rituals and traditions expressing and preserving the Shia ethos.

Though Mahatma Gandhi’s famous mention of Imam Hussain was, “I learnt from Hussain how to attain victory while being oppressed,” the victory of Imam Hussain was not a military or even political one. The reign of the Ommayad’s after Ashura lasted another 70 years only to be followed by the arguably more cruel and repressive Abbasid dynasty.  The apparent failure of Hussain at the time of his uprising and martyrdom raises questions as to the Shia claim of a divine purpose behind this “victory.”…