December 29, 2009

The Islamic Information Center strongly condemns the series of attacks against Shia Muslims around the world that have occurred on the Holy Event of Ashura. Preliminary reports indicate that there have been bombings in both Iraq and Pakistan, killing approximately one hundred innocent civilians on a day meant for prayer and meditation.

In Bahrain and Yemen, the oppressive governments of both countries continued their lockdown against religious freedom, by silencing the media while they closed mosques and forbade prayer services. 

Saudi Arabian Muslims remained in fear of their government's oppressive tactics, and secretly conducted prayer services in their homes to avoid persecution, arrest, and imprisonment.  Saudi Arabia event launched military attacks against foreign Shia populations.

December 27, 2009

The Islamic Information Center would like to offer condolences to the hundreds of millions of Muslims commemorating the day of Ashura today. Nearly 1,400 years ago, Imam Husain ibn Ali, grandson of Prophet Muhammad (May God Bless Them), was tragically martyred on the sands of Karbala, Iraq. Imam Husain sought to promote justice, and help restore Islam to its peaceful and benevolent nature - a movement opposed by oppressors.

On his journey to spread the true message of Islam: that it is a religion that focuses on the Oneness of God, on prayer and fasting, on helping the needy, and speaking out against evil - he and his family members were surrounded by the armies of Yazid, a corrupt oppressor focused on building power and brutally crushing dispute.

On the tenth day of Muharram, also referred to as "Ashura", Yazid's forces, numbering in the thousands cornered and killed Husain and the majority of his male family members, including Husain's infant child, leaving only women and some children. The surviving women and children were then shackled and imprisoned.
 
This event is considered especially tragic, because Husain and his family members, were mercilessly slaughtered and the survivors imprisoned in the name of "Islam", despite the fact that they were espousing the true and peaceful belief system as taught by their grandfather, the Prophet of Islam himself. Conversely, Yazid sought to promote widespread violence and destruction in an effort to distort and destroy Islam
 

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