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PEOPLES DAILY, wednesday, november 8, 2017
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Arbaeen: Millions of Muslims gather in Karbala in world’s largest annual pilgrimage
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he Day of Arbaeen marks forty days after the Day of Ashura, the day Hussain ibn Ali was martyred in the Battle of Karbala. Hussain ibn Ali was a 7th century revolutionary leader who sacrificed his life for Maintaining true Islam , freedom and social justice. What is The Day of Arbaeen? The arabic word ‘Arbaeen’ (pronounced Arr-ba-een) translates to forty (ie fortieth day). The traditional period of mourning in Islamic culture is forty days. Millions of people around the world mark the Day of Arbaeen by mourning the tragedy that befell Hussain ibn Ali, his family and his companions.Hussain ibn Ali is buried today in the land of Karbala, Iraq, where millions of visitors come annually to pay homage to him. The History of Arbaeen Day Hussain ibn Ali was a 7th century revolutionary leader who made a stand against Yazid ibn Muawiyah. Yazid was a tyrannical ruler who had illegally usurped power and was violating the basic rights and dignity of the people. Yazid wanted Hussain to pay allegiance to him, to lend credibility to his own corrupt rule. However Hussain refused to do so, based on his moral values and principles, and was killed by an army of over 30,000 whilst standing with a small number of 72. After the Battle of Karbala, the forces of Yazid took the women and children of Hussain’s family as captive. They were paraded in chains through the streets of Kufa (Iraq) and Damascus (Syria) – where they were abused by crowds until eventually presented to Yazid and placed in prison. Though Hussain has martyred, his movement still continued through his sister Zainab, and son Zain Al-Abideen. Hussain’s sister and his son defied Yazid in his own courtyard through famous sermons which unnerved even his closest allies. Eventually, Yazid had no choice but to free the captives as word spread across the region of the crime he had committed against Hussain ibn Ali and his family. It is said that the Day of Arbaeen is the day on which Hussain’s family returned to the land of Karbala, to properly bid farewell to the fallen heroes and finally grieve for their loved
A cross section of the pilgrimages ones. The Day of Arbaeen, today Today, almost 1400 years later, the Day of Arbaeen is mourned by millions of people around the world. It is marked as a day to pay tribute to the sacrifice of Hussain for, freedom and social justice. Typically, on this day people organise large marches in cities across the world to symbolise the eternal nature of Hussain’s revolution and to show they stand for Maintaining true Islam , freedom , social justice, honour and peace. In recent years – after the fall of the Saddam regime – a
tradition of walking 80km from Najaf (the resting place of Hussain ibn Ali’s father) to Karbala has been reignited. Every year since, the number has been rising steadily from 17 million pilgrims to at least 25 million. People from all walks of life and all corners of the globe make the journey, despite the imminent threat of terrorists who have vowed to attack the pilgrims. Along the 80km stretch from Najaf to Karbala volunteers distribute free food and drinks to those undertaking the pilgrimage, as well as offering places to relax, wash and sleep. Arbaeen Day is now the largest annual peaceful gathering in the world, with numbers set to increase significantly every year.
Saudis accuse Iran of ‘direct aggression’ over Yemen missile
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audi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has accused Iran of an act of “direct military aggression” by supplying missiles to rebels in Yemen. This “may be considered an act of war”, state media quoted the prince as telling UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in a telephone conversation. On Saturday, a ballistic missile was intercepted near the Saudi capital. Iran denies arming the Houthi movement, which has fought a Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen’s government since 2015. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the prince’s claim was “dangerous”. Houthi-aligned media reported that the rebels had fired a Burkan H2 ballistic missile at King Khaled International Airport, which is 850km (530 miles) from the Yemeni border and 11km northeast of Riyadh. Saudi missile defences intercepted the missile in flight, but some fragments fell inside the airport area. Human Rights Watch said the launch of an indiscriminate missile at a predominantly civilian airport was an apparent war crime. The official Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday that
in his telephone call with Prince Mohammed, Mr Johnson had “expressed his condemnation of launching a ballistic missile by Houthi coup militias”. “For his part, the crown prince stressed that the involvement of the Iranian regime in supplying its Houthi militias with missiles is considered a direct military aggression by the Iranian regime and may be considered an act of war against the kingdom,” it added. Mr Zarif condemned Saudi Arabia’s “provocative actions” in a telephone call with Mr Johnson later on Tuesday, foreign ministry
spokesman Bahram Qassemi said. “He dismissed false and dangerous claims made by Saudi officials, and said they are against international law and the UN Charter,” Mr Qassemi added. Iran and Saudi Arabia are engaged in a regional “Cold War”; a battle for influence and power. And just like the US-Soviet Cold War, while the two main protagonists are not directly involved in fighting each other, they or their proxies are engaged on a number of other battlefields. The Saudis went into Yemen to
counter alleged Iranian influence, but the campaign has proved a quagmire for the Saudi forces. Iran is in the ascendant in Iraq, where it is a close ally of the Shiadominated government. And it is “winning” in Syria too, helping to stabilise and consolidate the Assad regime. Saudi support for Syrian rebel factions has achieved nothing. Now the Saudis seem to be focusing on another country where Iran’s allies - in this case, Hezbollah - are well entrenched - Lebanon. But tinkering with that country’s fragile stability has huge risks - not
least the danger of prompting a crisis that could lead to a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah. On Monday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told CNN that members of Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, an Iranian proxy, launched the missile. He said the missile was similar to one launched in July that was shot down close to the Saudi city of Mecca, and that it was manufactured in Iran, disassembled and smuggled into Yemen, then reassembled by “operatives from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah”.
Delhi residents panic as ‘deadly smog’ returns
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anic has gripped the Indian capital, Delhi, as residents woke up to a blanket of thick grey smog on Tuesday. Visibility is poor as pollution levels reached 30 times the World Health Organization’s recommended limit in some areas. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) declared “a state of medical emergency” and urged the government to “make every possible effort to curb this menace”. People have been posting
dramatic pictures on social media showing the extent of the problem. The levels of tiny particulate matter (known as PM 2.5) that enter deep into the lungs reached as high as 700 micrograms per cubic metre in some areas on Tuesday, data from the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research website shows. The IMA has also recommended that the city’s half marathon, due to be held on 19 November, should be cancelled. Most social media users
have complained of breathing difficulties. The chief minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, has asked his education minister to consider shutting down schools for a few days. Delhi sees pollution levels soar in winter due to farmers in neighbouring Punjab and Haryana states burning stubble to clear their fields. Activists say very little has been done to stop the practice despite Delhi facing severe pollution for a
number of years. Low wind speeds, dust from construction sites, rubbish burning in the capital and firecrackers used in festivals also contribute to increasing pollution levels. The government enacted a plan in October to combat some of these problems. The plan includes traffic restrictions and the shutdown of a major power plant. Last year car rationing was trialled in an attempt to curb pollution.