SHOW OF FAITH Ashura festival sees children left covered in blood as devout Muslims use knives to slice their heads open Warning
10 Sep 2019, 18:00 Updated : 4 Feb 2021, 20:07
FASCINATING images show devout Muslims using knives to cut open their heads during a traditional show of faith.
Every year, thousands of Shia worshippers take part in the
ceremonies, performed to mourn the death of Husayn ibn Ali, a grandson
of the Prophet Muhammad.
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Worshippers in Afghanistan mark the day of Ashura, the tenth day of the
first month in the Islamic calendar, by drawing blood with scourges Credit: AP:Associated Press
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The day commemorates the death of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the prophet Muhammad Credit: AFP or licensors
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The annual event is controversial for involving self harm, forbidden in Islam, and sometimes involving children Credit: Reuters
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A Shia Muslim in Lebanon cuts his head with a sword as part of the Ashura commemorations Credit: AFP or licensors
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A man in Bahrain in the process of bloodletting Credit: AFP or licensors
The commemorations take place on Ashura , the tenth day of the first month of the Islamic calendar.
They mark Husayn's death at the Battle of Karbala, fought between
Husayn and Yazid I on October 10 680AD to determine who should succeed
the prophet as the leader of Islam.
Yazid is considered a tyrant by some Muslims, and Husayn's death is
considered by the Shia community to be a symbol of humanity's struggle
against injustice, tyranny, and oppression.
The anniversary is a national holiday in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq,
Lebanon, Bahrain, and Pakistan, and typically involves public
expressions of mourning.
The Ashura festivities were marked by tragedy in Iraq's holy city of Karbala after more than 30 pilgrims died and another 100 were wounded in a stampede when a walkway collapsed.
Some Muslims mark the day with the practice of Tatbir, in which a
sword or scourge is used to draw blood in remembrance of the innocent
blood of Husayn.
Many who take part in the practice believe it cleanses them of their sins.
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Volunteers in Pakistan take a mourner for treatment after he has self-flagellated Credit: AFP or licensors
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A man cuts his head in the city of Basra in southern Iraq Credit: AFP or licensors
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A man in Lebanon bleeds after cutting his forehead with a razor Credit: Reuters
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A man cuts the head of a woman with a razor in Lebanon Credit: AFP or licensors
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A group of man in Lebanon chant during a religious procession Credit: Reuters
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A man in New Delhi begins to beat himself Credit: AFP or licensors
A popular saying among Shia Muslims has it that "a single tear shed for Husayn washes away a hundred sins".
The ritual, which is sometimes carried out on children, is
controversial within the Muslim world, with some research suggesting it
can cause lasting psychological damage.
Many clerics also consider it to be self harm, which is "haram" - forbidden - in Islam.
Others worry that the practice creates a negative image of their faith.
Worshippers are instead encouraged to donate blood, with some
communities organising donation drives with organisations like the Red
Cross.
Other rituals carried on Ashura include mourning processions,
recitations of mournful poetry, and services in which the history of the
Battle of Karbala is retold.
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